Definition of phenol
1
: a corrosive poisonous crystalline acidic compound C6H5OH present in the tars of coal and wood that in dilute solution is used as a disinfectant
2
: any of various acidic compounds analogous to phenol and regarded as hydroxyl derivatives of aromatic hydrocarbons
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for phenol
The first known use of phenol was in 1849
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