phenol

P3H4E1N1O1L1
UK/ˈfiːnɒl/US/ˈfiˌnɔl/US/ˈfiˌnɑl/US/ˈfiˌnoʊl/

noun

A caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound, C₆H₅OH, derived from benzene and used in resins, plastics, and pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as a disinfectant and antiseptic; once called carbolic acid

Similar
carbolic acidbenzenolhydroxybenzeneoxybenzenephenylic acid
OriginFrench phène ← Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō) ← Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounphenol (countable and uncountable, plural phenols)

plural phenols

  1. uncountablechemistryA caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound, C₆H₅OH, derived from benzene and used in resins, plastics, and pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as a disinfectant and antiseptic; once called carbolic acid

    Synonyms: carbolic acid

  2. countablechemistryAny of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring (or other aromatic ring)

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound, C₆H₅OH, derived from benzene and used in resins, plastics, and pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as a disinfectant and antiseptic; once called carbolic acid

Similar
carbolic acid
Similar
benzenolhydroxybenzene

More synonyms by meaning

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

Similar
carbolic acidhydroxybenzeneoxybenzenephenylic acid
Broader
acidsolventdissolventdissolver
Also see
carbolic acidhydroxybenzeneoxybenzene

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  4. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  5. Frenchphène
  6. Englishphenol

From French phène, from Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “to clear”), as it was used for illumination, name given by Auguste Laurente in 1836. By surface analysis, pheno- + -ol.

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic فِينُول, أَسْفَنِيك
  • فِينُول (fīnūl)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • أَسْفَنِيك (ʔasfanīk)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • فِينُول (fīnūl)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Bulgarian фенол, фенол
  • фенол (fenol)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • фенол (fenol)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Catalan fenol, hidroxibenzè
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • hidroxibenzècaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Chinese Cantonese 苯酚, 酚
  • 苯酚caustic compound derived from benzene
  • 酚 (fan¹)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Chinese Mandarin 苯酚, 酚
  • 苯酚 (běnfēn)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • 酚 (fēn)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Czech fenol, fenol
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Finnish fenoli, fenoli
  • fenolicaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenoliany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
French phénol, phénol
  • phénolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • phénolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
German Phenol, Phenol
  • Phenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • Phenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Greek φαινόλη
  • φαινόλη (fainóli)caustic compound derived from benzene
Hindi दर्शव, दर्शव
  • दर्शव (darśav)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • दर्शव (darśav)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Hungarian fenol
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
Irish feanól
  • feanólcaustic compound derived from benzene
Italian fenolo, fenolo
  • fenolocaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenoloany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Japanese フェノール, 石炭酸
  • フェノール (fenōru)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • 石炭酸 (sekitansan)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • フェノール (fenōru)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Korean 페놀, 석탄산
  • 페놀 (penol)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • 석탄산 (seoktansan)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • 페놀 (penol)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Persian فنول
  • فنول (fenol)caustic compound derived from benzene
Polish fenol, fenol
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Portuguese fenol, fenol
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Russian фено́л, фено́л
  • фено́л (fenól)caustic compound derived from benzene
  • фено́л (fenól)any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Spanish fenol, fenol
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Swedish fenol, fenol
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • fenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Tagalog penol
  • penolcaustic compound derived from benzene
Turkish fenol
  • fenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
Ukrainian фено́л
  • фено́л (fenól)caustic compound derived from benzene
Vietnamese phenol, phenol
  • phenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • phenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Welsh ffenol, ffenol
  • ffenolcaustic compound derived from benzene
  • ffenolany of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring
Cite this entry
APA

phenol. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenol

MLA

“phenol.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenol. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phenol,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenol.

Source: phenol on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.