cresol

noun

cre·​sol ˈkrē-ˌsȯl How to pronounce cresol (audio)
-ˌsōl
: any of three poisonous colorless crystalline or liquid isomeric phenols C7H8O

Examples of cresol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In bioassays, of the 17 fecal odorants that elicited GC-EAD responses from fly antennae, a blend of indole and one or more of the alcohols phenol, m-/p-cresol and 1-octen-3-ol proved as attractive to flies as canine feces. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2017 The constantly present base notes are the short-chain straight and branched acids, cresol and other phenolics, and skatole. Harold McGee, Wired, 6 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cresol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, irregular from creosote

First Known Use

circa 1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cresol was circa 1869

Dictionary Entries Near cresol

Cite this Entry

“Cresol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cresol. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

cresol

noun
1
: any of three poisonous colorless crystalline or liquid isomeric phenols C7H8O that are used as disinfectants, in making phenolic resins and plasticizers, and in organic synthesis see metacresol, orthocresol, paracresol
2
: a mixture of cresol isomers

called also tricresol

More from Merriam-Webster on cresol

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!