benzenesulfonic acid: Meaning and Definition of

ben'zene•sul•fon'ic ac'id

Pronunciation: (ben'zēn-sul-fon'ik, ben-zēn'-), [key]
— Chem. Chem.
  1. a fine, needlelike substance, CHSO, used chiefly as a catalyst and in the synthesis of phenol, resorcinol, and other organic products.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.