-ol

UK/ɒl/US/ɔl/US/ɑl/

suffix

An alcohol or phenol.

OriginEnglish alcohol ← Middle English alcofol ← Medieval Latin alcoho →
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Meanings

-ol1

suffix
  1. chemistryAn alcohol or phenol.

-ol2

suffix
  1. Indicating an oily substance

Origin

-ol · suffix

  1. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  2. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  3. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  4. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  5. Medieval Latinalcoho
  6. Middle Englishalcofol
  7. Englishalcohol
  8. English-ol

Shortened from alcohol.

Full word history & related roots →

-ol · suffix

  1. Proto-Hellenic*élaiwon
  2. Ancient Greekἔλαιον (élaion)
  3. Latinoleum
  4. English-ol

From Latin oleum (“oil, olive oil”), from Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (élaion, “olive oil”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Danish -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Dutch -ol
  • -ol-OH group
German -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Polish -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Portuguese -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Spanish -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Swedish -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Welsh -ol
  • -ol-OH group
Cite this entry
APA

-ol. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ol

MLA

“-ol.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ol. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-ol,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ol.

Source: -ol on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.