Definition of benzoic acid
: a white crystalline acid C6H5COOH found naturally (as in benzoin or in cranberries) or made synthetically and used especially as a preservative of foods, as an antifungal agent in pharmaceuticals, and in organic synthesis
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for benzoic acid
The first known use of benzoic acid was in 1791
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