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.

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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

phenobarbitone, phenocopy, phenocryst, phenodeviant, phenogram, phenol, phenolate, phenolated, phenol coefficient, phenolic, phenolic resin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for phenol

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

Medical 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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.