Meanings
- dateduncountablechemistryphenol (C₆H₅OH)
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna toxic white soluble crystalline acidic derivative of benzene; used in manufacturing and as a disinfectant and antiseptic; poisonous if taken internally
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Partial calque of German Carbolsäure (modern German Karbolsäure), which was coined in 1834 by its discoverer Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan àcid carbòlic
- àcid carbòlicolder name for phenol
Chinese Mandarin 石炭酸
- 石炭酸 (shítànsuān)older name for phenol
Esperanto karbola acido
- karbola acidoolder name for phenol
German Carbolsäure, Karbolsäure
- Carbolsäureolder name for phenol
- Karbolsäureolder name for phenol
Hungarian karbolsav
- karbolsavolder name for phenol
Irish aigéad carbólach
- aigéad carbólacholder name for phenol
Japanese 石炭酸
- 石炭酸 (sekitansan)older name for phenol
Romanian acid carbolic
- acid carbolicolder name for phenol
Russian карбо́ловая кислота́
- карбо́ловая кислота́ (karbólovaja kislotá)older name for phenol
Cite this entry
carbolic acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carbolic%20acid
“carbolic acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carbolic%20acid. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “carbolic acid,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carbolic%20acid.
Source: carbolic acid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.