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eugenol

American  
[yoo-juh-nawl, -nohl] / ˈyu dʒəˌnɔl, -ˌnoʊl /

noun

Chemistry, Pharmacology.
  1. a colorless, oily, spicy, aromatic, very slightly water-soluble liquid, C 10 H 12 O 2 , extracted from certain essential oils, as oil of cloves: used chiefly in perfumery and in dentistry as an antiseptic.


eugenol British  
/ ˈjuːdʒɪˌnɒl /

noun

  1. a colourless or pale yellow oily liquid substance with a spicy taste and an odour of cloves, used in perfumery; 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol. Formula: C 10 H 12 O 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

Etymology

Origin of eugenol

1885–90; < New Latin Eugen ( ia ) name of genus of trees (after Prince Eugène of Savoy; see -ia) + -ol 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For basil, those oils are called eugenol and linalool; oregano gets its flavors from carvacrol and thymol.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2023

After the trade group reconfirmed that it was safe, the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that methyl eugenol is “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

From Time • Jun. 9, 2015

But the trade group still concluded that methyl eugenol “does not pose a significant cancer risk” to humans because it is used in food at such low levels.

From Time • Jun. 9, 2015

Although eugenol has long been used by dentists to relieve pain, "no one knows what happens when it is burned," says Dr. Tee Guidotti, professor of occupational medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

From Time Magazine Archive

Chavibetol, an isomer of eugenol, occurs in the ethereal oil obtained from Piper betle.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 8 "Ethiopia" to "Evangelical Association" by Various