resorcinol

or res·or·cin

[ ri-zawr-suh-nawl, -nol or ri-zawr-sin; rez-awr- ]
/ rɪˈzɔr səˌnɔl, -ˌnɒl or rɪˈzɔr sɪn; rɛzˈɔr- /

noun Chemistry, Pharmacology.

a white, needlelike, water-soluble solid, C6H6O2, a benzene derivative originally obtained from certain resins, now usually synthesized: used chiefly in making dyes, as a reagent, in tanning, in the synthesis of certain resins, and in medicine in treating certain skin conditions; meta-dihydroxybenzene.

Origin of resorcinol

First recorded in 1880–85; res(in) + orcinol

Example sentences from the Web for resorcinol

  • The other compound, resorcinol, was known to chemistry ten years before it was utilized as a source of colouring-matters.

    Coal |Raphael Meldola
  • The dye introduced by Caro in 1874 is the brominated phthaleïn of resorcinol.

    Coal |Raphael Meldola

British Dictionary definitions for resorcinol

resorcinol
/ (rɪˈzɔːsɪˌnɒl) /

noun

a colourless crystalline phenol with a sweet taste, used in making dyes, drugs, resins, and adhesives. Formula: C 6 H 4 (OH) 2; relative density: 1.27; melting pt: 111°C; boiling pt at 1 atm.: 276°C

Derived forms of resorcinol

resorcinal, adjective

Word Origin for resorcinol

C19: New Latin, from resin + orcinol

Medical definitions for resorcinol

resorcinol
[ rĭ-zôrsə-nôl′, -nōl′ ]

n.

A white crystalline compound used primarily as an antiseptic in skin diseases such as psoriasis or eczema, but also used in the treatment of nausea, asthma, whooping cough, and diarrhea.