glycerin

Glyc"er*in, Glyc"er*ine (, n. Etym: [F. glycérine, fr. Gr. glykero`s, glyky`s, sweet. Cf. Glucose, Licorice.] (Chem.) Defn: An oily, viscous liquid, C3H5(OH)3, colorless and odorless, and with a hot, sweetish taste, existing in the natural fats and oils as the base, combined with various acids, as oleic, margaric, stearic, and palmitic. It is a triatomic alcohol, and hence is also called glycerol. See Note under Gelatin. Note: It is obtained from fats by saponification, or, on a large scale, by the action of superheated steam. It is used as an ointment, as a solvent and vehicle for medicines, and as an adulterant in wine, beer, etc.

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