phenol

[ fee-nawl, -nol ]

/ ˈfi nɔl, -nɒl /

noun Chemistry.

Also called carbolic acid, hydroxybenzene, oxybenzene, phenylic acid. a white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous mass, C6H5OH, obtained from coal tar, or a hydroxyl derivative of benzene: used chiefly as a disinfectant, as an antiseptic, and in organic synthesis.

any analogous hydroxyl derivative of benzene.

Nearby words

phenobarbitone, phenocopy, phenocryst, phenodeviant, phenogram, phenol, phenol coefficient, phenol red, phenolate, phenolated, phenolic

Origin of phenol

First recorded in 1850–55; phen- + -ol¹

Related forms

phe·no·lic

[fi-noh-lik, -nol-ik] /fɪˈnoʊ lɪk, -ˈnɒl ɪk/, adjectivenon·phe·no·lic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for phenol

Practically the only phenol that is used is the beta-naphthol; alpha-naphthol is occasionally used, but not often.
The Dyeing of Cotton Fabrics|Franklin Beech
(b) Similarly obtain the phenol coefficient at 30 minutes contact period.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
Phenol at once coagulates into a more or less firm mass or clot.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 363, December 16, 1882|Various
The object of my experiments has been to prove the identity of wood creosote and its freedom from phenol.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 363, December 16, 1882|Various

Phenol, better known as carbolic acid, finds a use as a developer.
The Dyeing of Cotton Fabrics|Franklin Beech

British Dictionary definitions for phenol

phenol

/ (ˈfiːnɒl) /

noun

Also called: carbolic acid a white crystalline soluble poisonous acidic derivative of benzene, used as an antiseptic and disinfectant and in the manufacture of resins, nylon, dyes, explosives, and pharmaceuticals; hydroxybenzene. Formula: C 6 H 5 OH

chem any of a class of weakly acidic organic compounds whose molecules contain one or more hydroxyl groups bound directly to a carbon atom in an aromatic ring

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

Medicine definitions for phenol

phenol

[ fē′nôl′, -nōl′ ]

n.

A caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound derived from benzene and used in pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as an antiseptic.carbolic acid phenic acid

Any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring.

Science definitions for phenol

phenol

[ fē′nôl′, -nōl′ ]

Any of a class of organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl group (OH) attached to a carbon atom that is part of an aromatic ring. Phenols are similar to alcohols but are more soluble in water, and occur as colorless solids or liquids at room temperature. Some phenols occur naturally in the essential oils of plants. Phenols are used in industry to make plastics and detergents.

The simplest phenol, consisting of a benzene ring attached to a hydroxyl group (OH). It is a poisonous, white, crystalline compound and is used to make plastics and drugs. Also called carbolic acid. Chemical formula: C6H6O.