The anhydride of an alcohol is :

Options

A. Ether
B. Aldehyde
C. Alkanoic anhydride
D. Alkoxides

Answer

To determine the anhydride of an alcohol, we need to understand the concept of anhydrides and how they relate to alcohols. Let's break down the solution step by step.

### Step 1: Understand the Definition of Anhydride
An anhydride is formed when a compound loses a molecule of water (H₂O). This is a key concept in identifying what the anhydride of an alcohol would be.

**Hint:** Remember that anhydrides are formed by the removal of water from two molecules of a compound.

### Step 2: Identify the Structure of Alcohol
An alcohol can be represented by the general formula R-OH, where R is an alkyl group.

**Hint:** Recall the general structure of alcohols and how they are represented in chemical formulas.

### Step 3: Consider Two Molecules of Alcohol
To form an anhydride, we need two molecules of alcohol. So, we have:
- First alcohol: R-OH
- Second alcohol: R'-OH

**Hint:** Think about how two molecules of the same or different alcohols can interact to form a new compound.

### Step 4: Remove Water from the Alcohols
When these two alcohol molecules react, a water molecule (H₂O) is removed. The reaction can be represented as:
- R-OH + R'-OH → ROR' + H₂O

This reaction shows that the hydroxyl (OH) from one alcohol and the hydrogen (H) from the other alcohol combine to form water, leaving behind the ether structure.

**Hint:** Visualize the reaction and remember that the removal of H₂O is crucial for forming the anhydride.

### Step 5: Identify the Product
The product of this reaction is ROR', which is the structure of an ether. Therefore, the anhydride of an alcohol is an ether.

**Hint:** Compare the resulting structure (ROR') with the definitions of the given options to confirm your answer.

### Conclusion
Based on the above steps, we conclude that the anhydride of an alcohol is an ether.

**Final Answer:** The anhydride of an alcohol is **ether** (Option A).