hydroquinone

American  

[hahy-droh-kwi-nohn, -druh-kwin-ohn] / ˌhaɪ droʊ kwɪˈnoʊn, -drəˈkwɪn oʊn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline compound, C 6 H 6 O 2 , formed by the reduction of quinone: used chiefly in photography and to inhibit autoxidation reactions.

---

hydroquinone British  

/ ˌhaɪdrəʊˈkwɪnɒl, ˌhaɪdrəʊkwɪˈnəʊn /

noun

1. Also called: quinol.  a white crystalline soluble phenol used as a photographic developer; 1,4-dihydroxybenzene. Formula: C 6 H 4 (OH) 2

---

Etymology

Origin of hydroquinone

First recorded in 1860–65; hydro- ¹ + quinone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hydroquinone

Other sellers admitted using regulated ingredients such as kojic acid, hydroquinone and a powerful antioxidant, glutathione, which may cause rashes and other side-effects.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2025

Hartman says safe alternatives to hydroquinone are available without a prescription for people who want to even their skin tone, rather than lighten it.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 3, 2022

Clay said she gets a lot of requests for hydroquinone prescriptions from her patients because their relatives swore by it, and it used to be so readily available.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 20, 2021

If you’re not nursing, you can also use creams containing hydroquinone, or topical retinoids like Retin-A, to treat melasma after you give birth, Dr. Alexis said.

From New York Times ● Jul. 30, 2019

Arbutin, C12H16O7, which occurs in bearberry along with methyl arbutin, hydrolyses to hydroquinone and glucose.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various