# phenol

/ˈfɛnəɫ/ (US) · /fˈɛnɒl/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/phenol
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

a strong chemical with a sharp smell, used to kill germs and to make plastics and medicines.

For teachers: a toxic crystalline organic compound derived from benzene, valued as a disinfectant and as a raw material for plastics, resins and drugs.

## Examples

- Workers use diluted phenol to disinfect hospital floors.
- The lab technician stores phenol in a sealed bottle because its fumes irritate the skin and lungs.
- Early surgeons sprayed diluted phenol in operating theatres to reduce infection, a practice that foreshadowed modern antiseptic technique despite its toxicity to living tissue.

## Usage notes

- Uncountable for the pure substance; countable as 'phenols' for members of the wider chemical class.

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