phenol

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
phenol /ˈfiːnɒl/

▶noun Chemistry a mildly acidic toxic white crystalline solid used in chemical manufacture. See also carbolic (sense 1).

■ any compound with a hydroxyl group linked directly to a benzene ring.

– derivatives
phenolic adjective.

– origin C19: from Fr. phénole, based on phène ‘benzene’.