cresol

[kree-sawl, -sol]

noun

1. any of three isomeric compounds having the formula C 7 H 8 O, usually derived from coal tar and wood tar, and used chiefly as a disinfectant.

cresol

/ ˈkriːsɒl /

noun

1. Also called: cresylic acid. Systematic name: methylphenol. an aromatic compound derived from phenol, existing in three isomeric forms: found in coal tar and creosote and used in making synthetic resins and as an antiseptic and disinfectant; hydroxytoluene. Formula: C 6 H 4 (CH 3 )OH

Word History and Origins

Origin of cresol¹

1860–65; cres- (irregular from creosote ) + -ol ²

Example Sentences

After a pause of a few beats he says, “It’s caused by a cresol compound used by a manufacturer.”

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This one is composed of a long chain of small ring-containing compounds called cresol groups strung together in a polymer.

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Cr�sylite is a French explosive, and contains picric acid and nitrated cresol.

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The crude cresol obtained from tar cannot be separated into its different constituents by fractional distillation, since the boiling points of the three isomers are very close together.

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Treatment.—Treatment consists in making incisions into the swellings and syringing them out with 2 per cent compound cresol solution.

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