triphenyl

T1R1I1P3H4E1N1Y4L1

noun

Three phenyl groups in a compound

OriginEnglish phenyl ← French phényle ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nountriphenyl (countable and uncountable, plural triphenyls)

plural triphenyls

  1. countablein compoundsuncountablechemistryThree phenyl groups in a compound
  2. countableuncountablechemistryAn oligophenyl having three benzene rings

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*tréyes
  2. Proto-Indo-European*tri-
  3. Proto-Italic*tri-
  4. Latintri-
  5. Englishtri-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  8. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  9. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  10. Frenchphéno-
  11. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  12. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  13. Frenchphényle
  14. Englishphenyl
  15. Englishtriphenyl

From tri- + phenyl.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

triphenyl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/triphenyl

MLA

“triphenyl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/triphenyl. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “triphenyl,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/triphenyl.

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