n.
Pronunciation: ' f ē - ˌ n ō l, - ˌ no ̇ l, fi- '
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary phen- + 3 -ol
Date: circa 1852
1 : a corrosive poisonous crystalline acidic compound C 6 H 5 OH 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