The ignition of ethanol-oxygen-argon mixture was studied in reflected shock waves over the temperature range of 1281-1625 K and the pressure range of 0.69-1.06 bar. The ignition delay time was measured by the sudden increase of pressure profile and the radiation emitted by OH radicals. The relationship between the ignition delay time and the concentrations of ethanol and oxygen was determined in the form of mass-action expressions with an Arrhenius temperature dependence. In contrast to the behavior observed in methanol, ethanol acts to inhibit rather than accelerate its own ignition. Several kinetic mechanisms proposed for ethanol oxidation at high temperatures have been tested by the computer simulation.