What does glycerin mean?
Glycerin is a thick, clear, colourless, sweet-tasting liquid also called glycerol, a substance chemically known as propane-1,2,3-triol. It is widely used as a humectant, meaning it helps materials retain moisture, in cosmetics, soaps, toothpaste, foods, and pharmaceutical preparations. It can also function as a solvent and sweetener. Glycerin is normally treated as an uncountable noun; the spelling glycerine is especially familiar in British English, while glycerin is the standard US spelling. The substance's history links cosmetics and medicine with industrial chemistry: it is used in making nitroglycerin, the explosive absorbed into porous material to form dynamite. Its combination of solubility, sweetness, and moisture-attracting properties makes glycerin a useful example of how one chemical can serve many everyday roles, while also presenting a clear etymological link between Greek for sweetness and modern chemical nomenclature.
nounA thick, clear, colourless, sweet-tasting liquid also known as glycerol, used as a humectant, solvent, sweetener, and ingredient in cosmetics, foods, and medicines.
- A thick, clear, colourless, sweet-tasting liquid used as a humectant, solvent, sweetener, and pharmaceutical or cosmetic ingredient.
"The pharmacist added a small amount of glycerin to the mixture to help it retain moisture."
"The soap maker used glycerin to give the bars a softer texture and help them retain moisture."
"The cough syrup listed glycerin among its ingredients."
Rare; glycerin is normally used as an uncountable mass noun.
"The laboratory compared glycerins of different concentrations."
The same liquid that helps cosmetics stay moist also helped give the world dynamite through its role in making nitroglycerin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glycerin come from?
The word glycerin entered English in the 19th century. Its name combines the Greek glykeros, meaning “sweet,” with the chemical suffix -in, reflecting the liquid's noticeably sweet taste. Glycerol, glyceric compounds, and glycerides belong to the same chemical family and reflect this shared glycer- root.
How glycerin is actually used
Usually an uncountable mass noun. Glycerin is the standard American spelling, while glycerine is the conventional British spelling and is also accepted in American English. Glycerol is the preferred formal chemical name.
Easily confused with glycerin
Glycerin and glycerine are variant spellings of the same substance, with glycerin being standard in American English and glycerine especially common in British English.