toluene

American  

[tol-yoo-een] / ˈtɒl yuˌin /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, water-insoluble, flammable liquid, C 7 H 8 , having a benzenelike odor, obtained chiefly from coal tar and petroleum: used as a solvent in the manufacture of benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, TNT, and other organic compounds.

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toluene British  

/ ˈtɒljʊˌiːn /

noun

1. a colourless volatile flammable liquid with an odour resembling that of benzene, obtained from petroleum and coal tar and used as a solvent and in the manufacture of many organic chemicals. Formula: C 6 H 5 CH 3

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toluene Scientific  

/ tŏl′yo̅o̅-ēn′ /

1. A clear, toxic, flammable liquid that is used in fuels, explosives, dyes, medicines, and many industrial chemicals. Toluene consists of a methyl group attached to benzene. Also called methylbenzene. Chemical formula: C ₇ H ₈ .

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Etymology

Origin of toluene

First recorded in 1870–75; tolu + -ene

Example Sentences

“It’s the toluene. Toluene is colorless, but it’s used to dissolve and suspend the pigments in the polish, and helps the polish stick to the nail. It also contributes to its glossiness once it dries.”

From Literature

They included several types of phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics flexible; chloroform, a toxic byproduct from disinfecting water with chlorine; and toluene, a hazardous substance found in vehicle exhaust.

From Los Angeles Times

This includes extremely challenging aromatic molecules with very high oxidation potentials such as naphthalene, toluene, or benzene.

From Science Daily

In waxes that are not so pure, semi-volatile and volatile organic compounds like toluene, contained within the wax, can be released with burning.

From National Geographic

Wells emit a volatile miasma of cancer-causing hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene, and their wastewater can contaminate underground water tables relied on by neighbors for household supplies.

From Los Angeles Times