phenol

[ fee-nawl, -nol ]

/ ˈfi nɔl, -nɒl /

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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.

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Origin of phenol

First recorded in 1850–55; phen(o)- + -ol¹

OTHER WORDS FROM phenol

phe·no·lic

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

Words nearby phenol

pheno-, phenobarbital, phenocopy, phenocryst, phenogram, phenol, phenolate, phenolated, phenol coefficient, phenolic, phenolic resin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use phenol in a sentence

The presence of phenol causes a deep amethyst-blue color, as in Uffelmann's test for lactic acid.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It turned out that the man at the next bench had spilled a little phenol on the bench top.
The Professional Approach|Charles Leonard Harness
Phenol, the author finds, is a constant component of human fces.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Methæmoglobin in the blood smaller than in para-acetamido-phenol, but more than when the methyl or ethyl compound is administered.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth

(b) Similarly obtain the phenol coefficient at 30 minutes contact period.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre

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

Scientific 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.