Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A colorless, sweet-smelling, oily liquid, C5H4O2, made from corncobs and other cellulosic wastes and used in the synthesis of furan derivatives, as a solvent for nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, and certain dyes, and as a fungicide and insecticide.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See furfurol.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun organic chemistry A heterocyclic aldehyde derivative of furan; it is obtained commercially from bran, and has several industrial uses.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a liquid aldehyde with a penetrating odor; made from plant hulls and corncobs; used in making furan and as a solvent

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[furfur + –al.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin furfur ("bran") + English -al.

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Examples

  • Some agave syrups contain a contaminant called hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, also called 5-hydroxymethyl furfural), an organic heat-formed compound that arises in the processing of fructose -- in both agave syrup and HFCS.

    This Sweetener Is Far Worse Than High Fructose Corn Syrup Dr. Joseph Mercola 2010

  • Some agave syrups contain a contaminant called hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, also called 5-hydroxymethyl furfural), an organic heat-formed compound that arises in the processing of fructose -- in both agave syrup and HFCS.

    Dr. Joseph Mercola: This Sweetener Is Far Worse Than High Fructose Corn Syrup 2010

  • He crouched and opened a bottle of methyl furfural, a molecule that smells like caramel, with hints of leather and black cherry.

    This Opera Hasn't Even Opened, 2009

  • Is it possible that all this furfural is really just an early "October Surprise", in the US electoral tradition that both Reagan and Bush II made such masterful use of?

    Wag the Dog 2008

  • Quantitative analysis, by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, identified guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-ethylphenol, eugenol, and furfural in each of the wines made from smoked grapes.

    When Smoke Gets in Your Grapes 2008

  • Certainly there are other compounds in various alcoholic beverages that can contribute to its toxicity fusel oil, a mixture of higher alcohols and furfural, being my favorite, because it has such a cool name but your pointing a finger at a single compound and tying it to a particular food additive suggests both some degree of ignorance and some magnitude of agenda.

    Alcohol James Killus 2007

  • Formation of furfurylthiol exhibiting a strong coffee aroma during oak barrel fermentation from furfural released by toasted staves.

    On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen Harold McGee 2004

  • Formation of furfurylthiol exhibiting a strong coffee aroma during oak barrel fermentation from furfural released by toasted staves.

    On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen Harold McGee 2004

  • FURFURYL ALCOHOL: This is an organic compound derived from furfural.

    Chapter 11 1994

  • FORMALDEHYDE-UREA: The action of this compound is similar to that of furfural aniline.

    Chapter 11 1994

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