dibutyl phthalate

[ dahy-byoo-til thal-eyt, ‐-byoot-l; fthal- ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless oily liquid, C 16 H 22 O 4 , insoluble in water, used especially as a plasticizer and also in solvents and insect repellents: a commercially important phthalate, it modifies polyvinyl chloride into an engineering plastic with widespread applications.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dibutyl phthalate¹

First recorded in 1920–25; di- ¹ + butyl