What does glycerine mean?
Glycerine is a clear, colourless, viscous liquid with a distinctly sweet taste. Chemically, it is glycerol, a substance used to retain moisture, dissolve other materials, and slightly sweeten foods. Pharmacies and cosmetic manufacturers use it in products such as lip balms, creams, and ointments, while bakers and confectioners may add it to mixtures that would otherwise become dry or brittle. It can be manufactured from vegetable oils, including palm and coconut oils, or produced by other industrial processes. The name glycerine is chiefly associated with British English, whereas glycerin is more common in American English. Glycerine is normally treated as a mass noun, and plural forms are uncommon. Although its uses are mostly practical, its sweet taste and unusual history give it a memorable place in the language of chemistry and everyday household life.
nounA thick, colourless, sweet-tasting liquid that is chemically glycerol, used in cosmetics, medicines, food, and as a humectant. It may be derived from plant or animal fats or produced synthetically.
- The clear, viscous, colourless liquid known chemically as glycerol, used as a humectant, solvent, sweetener, and ingredient in medicines, foods, and cosmetics.
"She added a few drops of glycerine to the mixture to keep it from drying out."
"The pharmacist recommended glycerine for dry lips during the winter."
"A little glycerine helps keep the paint from becoming too thick as it dries."
Glycerine is normally used as a mass noun. Plural forms are rare and unnecessary except when referring to separate portions, samples, or products.
"The recipe calls for two tablespoons of glycerine."
Glycerine is unmistakably sweet: its name ultimately comes from a Greek word meaning “sweet.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glycerine come from?
Glycerine entered English from French glycérine during the nineteenth century. Its name draws on Greek glykeros, meaning “sweet,” reflecting the substance's taste, together with a chemical suffix associated with the period's naming of organic compounds.
How glycerine is actually used
Glycerine is the standard spelling in British English, while American English more often uses glycerin. The term is normally uncountable and has a technical or commercial register, though it is familiar in contexts involving home remedies, cosmetics, and food.
Easily confused with glycerine
Glycerine is the sweet liquid glycerol, whereas glycine is a naturally occurring amino acid used in proteins and in certain dietary supplements.
Glycerin and glycerine are spelling variants for the same substance, with glycerin more common in American English and glycerine more common in British English.