cresol

Thân thiện

A scientist carefully measures cresol in a laboratory.

Definition

Noun: 1. A chemical compound: Cresol is any of three toxic, colorless, isomeric phenols. These are organic compounds derived from coal tar or wood tar. Its primary use is as a powerful disinfectant and antiseptic agent.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Cresol is an effective ingredient in many industrial disinfectants.
  • The characteristic smell of some older disinfectants is often due to the presence of cresol.
  • Due to its toxicity, handling cresol requires proper safety equipment.

Advanced Usage

• Chemical Isomers: The term "cresol" specifically refers to three isomers: -cresol (ortho-cresol), -cresol (meta-cresol), and -cresol (para-cresol). These have the same chemical formula but slightly different molecular structures.
  • P-cresol is a metabolic byproduct found in the human body.
• Technical Context: In chemistry and manufacturing, "cresol" is often discussed as a precursor or component in synthesizing other chemicals, such as antioxidants, resins, and solvents.

Variants and Related Words

• Cresylic acid (n): A commercial mixture of cresols and other phenols, often used interchangeably with "cresol" in industrial contexts.
• Phenol (n): The parent chemical compound of which cresol is a methylated derivative. Both are used as disinfectants.

Synonyms

• Methylphenol (n): The systematic chemical name for cresol.
• Hydroxytoluene (n): An alternative chemical name describing its structure (a toluene ring with a hydroxyl group).

Related Compounds (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Thymol (n): A naturally occurring phenol similar to cresol, used as an antiseptic.
• Xylenol (n): Dimethyl derivatives of phenol, similar to but distinct from cresol.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any of three poisonous colorless isomeric phenols; derived from coal or wood tar; used as a disinfectant

Từ đồng nghĩa

• methyl phenol