-ol

An alcohol or phenol.

The final element of alcohol.

An alcohol is an organic compound containing a hydroxyl group, —OH; a phenol is a compound containing that group linked directly to a benzene ring, with phenol itself being the simplest example. Some others are glycerol (Greek glukeros, sweet), an alcohol containing three hydroxyl groups, a viscous liquid formed as a by-product in soap manufacture; cholesterol (Greek kholē, bile, plus stereos, stiff), a substance found in most body tissues, of which high concentrations in the blood are thought to promote atherosclerosis; mannitol, a compound found in many plants which is used in various foods and medical products. Some of the more frequently encountered aliphatic (straight carbon chain) alcohols have systematic names ending in ‑ol in addition to their common ones: ethanol is better known as ethyl alcohol or just alcohol; propanol is also known as propyl alcohol.