Pronunciation: ' s ē -t ə l-
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary cet- (fr. Latin cetus whale) + -yl; from its occurrence in spermaceti
Date: 1863
: a waxy crystalline alcohol C 16 H 34 O obtained by the saponification of spermaceti or the hydrogenation of palmitic acid and used especially in pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations and in making detergents