phenol: Meaning and Definition of

phe•nol

Pronunciation: (fē'nôl, -nol), [key]
— n. Chem.
  1. Also calleda white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous mass, CHOH, obtained from coal tar, or a hydroxyl derivative of benzene: used chiefly as a disinfectant, as an antiseptic, and in organic synthesis.
  2. any analogous hydroxyl derivative of benzene.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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