benzidine

[ ben-zi-deen, -din ]

/ ˈbɛn zɪˌdin, -dɪn /

Save This Word!

noun Chemistry.

a grayish, crystalline, slightly water-soluble, basic compound, C12H12N2, usually derived from nitrobenzene: used chiefly in the synthesis of certain azo dyes, especially Congo red.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of benzidine

First recorded in 1875–80; benz- + -id³ + -ine²

Words nearby benzidine

benzene series, benzenesulfonic acid, benzenoid, benzethonium chloride, Benzi Box, benzidine, benzimidazole, benzine, benzo, benzoate, benzoate of soda

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

How to use benzidine in a sentence

Thus diazotised benzidine and tolidine combine with salicylic acid to form valuable yellow azo-dyes known as “chrysamines.”
Coal|Raphael Meldola
Benzidine (Wallis) has also been suggested for the detection of free chlorine.
Chlorination of Water|Joseph Race
Ellms and Hauser investigated benzidine in 1913 and found it to be inferior to o-tolidine as a test reagent for free chlorine.
Chlorination of Water|Joseph Race
It is impossible to attempt to specify by name any of these recent benzidine and tolidine dyes.
Coal|Raphael Meldola

British Dictionary definitions for benzidine

benzidine

/ (ˈbɛnzɪˌdiːn, -dɪn) /

noun

a grey or reddish poisonous crystalline powder that is used mainly in the manufacture of dyes, esp Congo red. Formula: NH 2 (C 6 H 4) 2 NH 2

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 benzidine

benzidine

[ bĕn′zĭ-dēn′ ]

A yellowish, white, or reddish-gray crystalline powder that is produced synthetically and is carcinogenic. It is used in making dyes, as a reagent, and in detecting blood stains. Chemical formula: C12H12N2.