A Dictionary of English Etymology, a 1859 reference work by British etymologist and philologist Hensleigh Wedgwood, had more detail, also describing alcohol as a reduced or purer substance: ...

And even when "alcohol" first came to mean "a strong drink," it still had the air of the scientist about it--the earliest example in the OED comes from an 1818 novelist, whose character "bolted ...

The "body-eating spirit" rumor does come from a real Arabic word. The English word "ghoul" is derived from the Arabic "ghul," which the Online Etymology Dictionary describes as "an evil spirit that ...

The origins of the word "alcohol" come from the Arabic term "al-ghoul," which means "body-eating spirit." Rating: Some rumors are too hazy to be believed. For years, claims have connected the root of ...

The "body-eating spirit" rumor does come from a real Arabic word. The English word "ghoul" is derived from the Arabic "ghul," which the Online Etymology Dictionary describes as "an evil spirit that ...