What are the origins of English word for alcohol?

The English word "alcohol" comes from Arabic. It ultimately derives from the Arabic word الكحل (al-kuḥl), which originally referred to a finely powdered antimony sulfide used as an eye cosmetic. The word's meaning later broadened to include any finely powdered substance, and then, through a process of chemical understanding (specifically relating to distilled spirits), it came to refer to the pure, refined substance that is the essence of alcoholic beverages. The word entered European languages through medieval translations of Arabic texts on alchemy and chemistry.