safrole

[ saf-rohl ]

nounChemistry.
  1. a colorless or faintly yellow liquid, C10H10O2, obtained from sassafras oil or the like: used chiefly in perfumery, for flavoring, and in the manufacture of soaps.

Origin of safrole

1
First recorded in 1865–70; (sas)safr(as) + -ole2
  • Also saf·rol [saf-rawl, -rohl]. /ˈsæf rɔl, -roʊl/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use safrole in a sentence

  • Heliotropin, which possesses the characteristic odour of heliotrope, is prepared artificially from safrol.

  • Safrol, an ether which is the chief constituent of sassafras oil, and also found in considerable quantity in camphor oil.

British Dictionary definitions for safrole

safrole

/ (ˈsæfrəʊl) /


noun
  1. a colourless or yellowish oily water-insoluble liquid present in sassafras and camphor oils and used in soaps and perfumes. Formula: C 10 H 10 O 2

Origin of safrole

1
C19: from (sas) safr (as) + -ole 1

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