|teˌre]f|thalik-, |terə] noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary tere bene + phthalic
: a crystalline dicarboxylic acid C 6 H 4 (COOH) 2 that is much less soluble and much higher melting than phthalic acid, that has been obtained by oxidation of turpentine but is usually made by oxidation of para -xylene, and that is used chiefly in the synthesis of polyesters for textile fibers or film by reaction with ethylene glycol; para -benzene-dicarboxylic acid