carbolic acid

noun

Examples of carbolic acid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Initially welcomed as a new business by the struggling city, Baker touted his secret elixir involving corn silk, red clover, watermelon seeds, carbolic acid and alcohol. Jack Schnedler, Arkansas Online, 5 May 2025 Even later, in the 1860s, the British surgeon Joseph Lister introduced the first sterile silk sutures, cleaned of contaminants using a solution of carbolic acid. Amy Paturel, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary carb- + Latin oleum oil — more at oil

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbolic acid was circa 1859

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Cite this Entry

“Carbolic acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbolic%20acid. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

carbolic acid

noun
car·​bol·​ic acid
kär-ˌbäl-ik-
: phenol

Medical Definition

carbolic acid

noun
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