Definition of "acetaldehyde" []

• A colorless, flammable liquid, C2H4O, used to manufacture acetic acid, perfumes, and drugs. Also called aldehyde. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It is a dangerous combination because the mixing of these two entities causes the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde, which is poisonous and can land the patient in the hospital."
• "It turns out that when the fruits are deprived of oxygen, they shift their metabolism in a way that results in the accumulation of an alcohol derivative called acetaldehyde, and this substance binds with tannins in the cells, thus preempting them from binding to our tongues."
• "A by-product of this complex metabolic process is a toxin called acetaldehyde."