English Explanatory Dictionary

benzene

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An aromatic hydrocarbon of formula C₆H₆ whose structure consists of a ring of alternate single and double bonds.
  2. Sometimes used in place of the phenyl group.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɛnziːn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-benzene.wav

Word forms

benzene benzenes benzine

Etymology

Etymology tree German Benzoe Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. German -in German Benzinbor. English benzine English benzene A technical term in chemistry, adopted in English in 1835 as benzine (benzene from 1872), from German Benzin, which was coined in 1833 by Eilhardt Mitscherlich based on Benzoesäure (“benzoic acid”), plus the technical ending -ene (German -in) denoting hydrocarbons. The adjective benzoic is in turn from benzoin, originally a term for a balsamic resin from Middle French benjoin, from Spanish benjuí, Portuguese beijoim, Italian benzoe, probably, from Arabic لُبَان جَاوِيّ (lubān jāwiyy, “Javanese frankincense”). Not related to German Benz (surname).

Related words

cyclohexane cyclohexene cycloalkane cycloalkene cyclohexatriene

Derived words

alkylbenzene allylbenzene aminobenzene arsenobenzene azobenzene azoxybenzene benserazide benz- benzannulated benzeneamine benzeneazo benzeneazothiocarbonyl benzenecarboximidamide benzenecyclopentadienyliron benzenediamine benzenediazo benzenediazoate benzenediazonium benzenedicarbonyl benzenediol benzeneethanol benzenehexacarboxylic benzenehexoxide benzeneiron benzeneperoxyseleninic benzeneperoxysulfonic benzene ring benzeneruthenium benzeneseleninic benzeneselenonate benzeneselenonic benzenesulfinate benzenesulfinyl benzenesulfonate benzenesulfonic benzenesulfonic acid benzenesulfonyl benzenesulfonylhydrazide benzenesulfonylperoxosulfate benzenesulphonothioic benzenesulphonyl benzenethiol benzenic benzenoid benzenol benzo- borabenzene bromobenzene butylbenzene chlorobenzene circumbenzene cyclohexylbenzene dehydrobenzene deuterobenzene dibromobenzene dichlorobenzene diheterabenzene dimethoxybenzene dinitrobenzene dinitrochlorobenzene
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