benzene

[ ben-zeen, ben-zeen ]

/ ˈbɛn zin, bɛnˈzin /

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noun Chemistry.

a colorless, volatile, flammable, toxic, slightly water-soluble, liquid, aromatic compound, C6H6, obtained chiefly from coal tar: used in the manufacture of commercial and medicinal chemicals, dyes, and as a solvent for resins, fats, or the like.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of benzene

First recorded in 1825–35; benz(oic acid) + -ene

Words nearby benzene

benzal group, benzalkonium chloride, benzamine, benzanthracene, Benzedrine, benzene, benzeneazobenzene, benzenecarbaldehyde, benzenecarbonyl, benzenecarboxylate, benzenecarboxylic acid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use benzene in a sentence

It contains hazardous air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and benzene, which all contribute to unhealthy air that more than 41 percent of Americans breathe in.
The infrastructure law aims to clean up pollution in your community|Rebecca Leber|November 15, 2021|Vox
To pay for those instances, the new infrastructure bill revives a tax on imported toxic chemicals and metals, like benzene, chlorine, and cobalt.
The new infrastructure bill will fund pollution cleanup. But will it hold polluters accountable?|Philip Kiefer|November 9, 2021|Popular-Science
From the 19th-century chemist Friedrich August Kekulé’s discovery of the structure of benzene to any of Mozart’s symphonies, much extraordinary human achievement is not a product of conscious, sequential reasoning.
The power of rational thinking in a world that seems unreasonable|Nick Romeo|October 8, 2021|Washington Post
A recent major breakthrough was a tabletop device that could operate on sunlight alone for more than 3,000 hours without degradation, converting methane into benzene and reducing nitrogen into ammonia, an important element for fertilizer.
Check Out These 16 World-Changing Ideas|Nick Fouriezos|March 23, 2021|Ozy

Exposure to benzene at very high levels can cause difficulty thinking, change in heart function and it’s considered a cancer-causing chemical.
San Diego County Cites Navy for Ship Fire|MacKenzie Elmer|July 24, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Benzene causes cancer, thins the blood to cause symptoms resembling hemophilia, and damages fetuses exposed to it.
Pollution Is a Violent Crime—Prosecute It as Such|Jedediah Purdy|May 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Benzene makes people sick, shortens lives, and harms future generations.
Pollution Is a Violent Crime—Prosecute It as Such|Jedediah Purdy|May 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Butane purchased at a hardware store often contains chemicals like benzene, which is known to cause cancer.
Hey Buddy, Wanna Dab? Inside The Mainstream Explosion of Cannabis Concentrates|Valerie Vande Panne|December 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
However studies have found dangerous compounds like benzene and formaldehyde in inhaled or secondhand vapor.
E-Cigarettes, Facing Ban, Still Figuring Out What They Want to Be|Alex Halperin|December 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A solution of hydrogen chloride in a poorly ionizing medium, like benzene or toluene, is an extremely poor conductor.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2.|Julius Stieglitz
Petroleum boiling between 160 and 195 F. dissolves less than benzene.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
To undertake anything big was out of the question, so we dropped thirty-two gallons of benzene and a spare propeller.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
Another mile went by and we came to snow, where forty gallons of benzene, twelve gallons of oil and a sledge were abandoned.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
The hydrocarbons consist largely of benzene, which requires three times as much air for complete combustion as acetylene does.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, July 1899|Various

British Dictionary definitions for benzene

benzene

/ (ˈbɛnziːn, bɛnˈziːn) /

noun

a colourless flammable toxic aromatic liquid used in the manufacture of styrene, phenol, etc, as a solvent for fats, resins, etc, and as an insecticide. Formula: C 6 H 6See also benzene ring

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for benzene

benzene

[ bĕn′zēn′ ]

A colorless flammable liquid derived from petroleum. Benzene is used to make detergents, insecticides, motor fuels, and many other chemical products. Chemical formula: C6H6. See more at benzene ring.

Other words from benzene

benzyl adjective