aldehyde Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of a class of highly reactive chemical compounds; used in making resins and dyes and organic acids

WordNet

Al"de*hyde noun
Etymology
Abbrev. fr. alcohol dehydrogenatum, alcohol deprived of its hydrogen.
Definitions
  1. (Chem.) A colorless, mobile, and very volatile liquid obtained from alcohol by certain of oxidation. ✍ The aldehydes are intermediate between the alcohols and acids, and differ from the alcohols in having two less hydrogen atoms in the molecule, as common aldehyde (called also acetic aldehyde or ethyl aldehyde), C2H4O; methyl aldehyde, CH2O.

Webster 1913