PHENOL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does phenol mean? 

• PHENOL (noun)
  The noun PHENOL has 2 senses:

1. any of a class of weakly acidic organic compounds; molecule contains one or more hydroxyl groups

2. a toxic white soluble crystalline acidic derivative of benzene; used in manufacturing and as a disinfectant and antiseptic; poisonous if taken internally

  Familiarity information: PHENOL used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PHENOL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of a class of weakly acidic organic compounds; molecule contains one or more hydroxyl groups

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("phenol" is a kind of...):

organic compound (any compound of carbon and another element or a radical)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "phenol"):

pyrogallic acid; pyrogallol (a toxic white lustrous crystalline phenol used to treat certain skin diseases and as a photographic developer)

creosol (a colorless to yellow aromatic liquid that is a constituent of creosote)

cresol; methyl phenol (any of three poisonous colorless isomeric phenols; derived from coal or wood tar; used as a disinfectant)

naphthol (either of two phenols derived from naphthalene)

resorcinol (a crystalline phenol obtained from various resins; used in ointments for acne and in dandruff shampoos)

tannic acid; tannin (any of various complex phenolic substances of plant origin; used in tanning and in medicine)

thyme camphor; thymic acid; thymol (a colorless crystalline solid used in perfume or preserving biological specimens or in embalming or medically as a fungicide or antiseptic)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A toxic white soluble crystalline acidic derivative of benzene; used in manufacturing and as a disinfectant and antiseptic; poisonous if taken internally

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

carbolic acid; hydroxybenzene; oxybenzene; phenol; phenylic acid

Hypernyms ("phenol" is a kind of...):

acid (any of various water-soluble compounds having a sour taste and capable of turning litmus red and reacting with a base to form a salt)

dissolvent; dissolver; dissolving agent; resolvent; solvent (a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances)

 Context examples 

Curcumin C3 complex is a unique combination of three phenols: curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin.

(Curcumin C3 Complex, NCI Thesaurus)

A small molecule containing 2 phenol rings, characterized as a hapten for use in vaccine preparation.

(Dinitrophenyl, NCI Thesaurus)

A substituted phenol with bactericidal, antihelminthic and potential antineoplastic activities.

(Hexylresorcinol, NCI Thesaurus)

This agent may have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, possibly due to the presence of antioxidants, phenols, tannins, triterpenoids and volatile oils.

(Devil's Foot/Jambul, NCI Thesaurus)

Plants use carbon dioxide and chloride ions to make their food, and they use phenol to help make components of their cell walls.

(Common Houseplant with Genetic Modification Can Remove Polluted Air, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The processed sample is subjected to phenol/chloroform extraction and the DNA in the aqueous phase is analyzed using next-generation sequencing techniques.

(FAIRE-Seq, NCI Thesaurus)

Any chemical compound derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol.

(Organic Ester, NCI Thesaurus)

A nontoxic laxative vermicide of chlorinated phenol compound.

(Dichlorophen, NCI Thesaurus)

A bioactive food component with at least 2 phenol rings (two benzene rings each bearing at least one hydroxyl group).

(Dietary Polyphenol, NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

This species is motile by polar, lophotrichous flagella, catalase-peroxidase, catalase and oxidase positive, degrades phenol and reduces nitrate.

(Comamonas terrigena, NCI Thesaurus)