Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Alcohol (ROH): (1) A functional group characterized by the C-O-H moiety. In some schools of thought, the carbon must be sp3, and the sp2 C-OH and sp C-OH moieties are not alcohol functional groups. The carbon cannot be part of a carbonyl group; this is the carboxylic acid functional group.


General alcohol molecular structure.

(2) A molecule containing the alcohol functional group.


Tert-butanol, a tertiary alcohol.

(3) Ethanol.


Ethanol