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Definition of Cetyl alcohol
1. Noun. (organic compound) The waxy aliphatic primary alcohol 1-hexadecanol, used in cosmetics etc. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Medical Definition of Cetyl alcohol
1. The 16-carbon alcohol corresponding to palmitic acid, so called because it is isolated from among the hydrolysis products of spermaceti; it is used as an emulsifying aid and in the preparation of "washable" ointment bases. Synonym: 1-hexadecanol, palmityl alcohol. (05 Mar 2000)