acetonitrile
noun
ace·to·ni·trile ə-ˌsē-tō-ˈnī-trəl 
ˌa-sə-tō-,
-ˌtrī(-ə)l
: the colorless liquid nitrile CH3CN of acetic acid used chiefly in organic synthesis and as a solvent
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Back then, American Cyanamid in Waggaman — now Cornerstone Chemicals — had been disposing of more than 11 million pounds of the noxious solvent acetonitrile down injection wells. 
Mark Schleifstein, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2012 To identify the unique neurotoxin, the biologists cut out the venom ducts from several snails, froze them, pulverized them, and then extracted the peptides from the pulp with a mixture of water and the solvent acetonitrile. Aaron Rowe, WIRED, 11 July 2007
Mark Schleifstein, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2012 To identify the unique neurotoxin, the biologists cut out the venom ducts from several snails, froze them, pulverized them, and then extracted the peptides from the pulp with a mixture of water and the solvent acetonitrile. Aaron Rowe, WIRED, 11 July 2007 Word History
Etymology
borrowed from German Acetonitril, from aceto- aceto- + Nitril nitrile
First Known Use
1848, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
acetonitrile
noun
ace·to·ni·trile ˌas-ə-tō-ˈnī-trəl ə-ˈsēt-ō- -ˌtrēl
ə-ˈsēt-ō- -ˌtrēl : the colorless liquid nitrile CH3CN of acetic acid usually made by dehydration of acetamide and used chiefly in organic synthesis and as a solvent
called also methyl cyanide