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paraben

[ par-uh-bin ]
/ ˈpær ə bɪn /

noun Chemistry.

any of a group of compounds, including methylparaben, that are widely used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for their antibacterial and antifungal properties and as food preservatives: suspected health risks connected to paraben usage and consumption have prompted consumer interest in paraben-free products.

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Origin of paraben

First recorded in 1950–55; para-1 + ben(zoic acid)

Words nearby paraben

para-aminosalicylic acid, para-aortic body, paraballism, parabasal body, parabasis, paraben, parabiosis, parablast, parable, parablepsia, parables
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for paraben

paraben
/ (ˈpærəˌbɛn) /

noun

any ester of parahydroxybenzoic acid, some of which are used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and have been found in breast cancer tumours
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