benzol

benzol — noun

1. a clear, colourless liquid that comes from coal tar and burns easily. It is used

1.nounC1
Definition

a clear, colourless liquid that comes from coal tar and burns easily. It is used as an industrial solvent and is known to be harmful to human health. 'Benzol' is an older name for the chemical benzene.

Example

The technician poured benzol into a sealed glass beaker inside the fume hood.

poured benzol — verb + object with benzol as uncountable

Workers at the plant must wear protective gloves when handling benzol.

handling benzol — safety context

Common collocations
  • crude benzol
  • benzol extract
  • benzol plant
  • benzol poisoning
  • exposed to benzol
  • handle benzol
  • benzol content
Synonyms
  • benzene

    the modern, standard chemical name for C₆H₆; 'benzol' is an older synonym

Grammar Patterns

benzol + verb (singular)

grade/type of benzol

Usage Note

Benzol is an older, less common term. In modern chemistry and safety documentation, 'benzene' is used far more often. You may encounter 'benzol' in older textbooks, industrial product labels, or trade contexts.

Common Mistakes

Benzol and benzole are exactly the same thing.
Benzol is the same as benzene, but benzole usually refers to a crude mixture obtained from coal tar.
'benzole' is a different, less refined product.
I poured benzol into my coffee cup.
I poured benzol into a labelled chemical waste container.
benzol is poisonous and flammable; never treat it like an ordinary liquid.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Benzol is an older name for benzene (C₆H₆), the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon. In modern chemistry and safety regulation, 'benzene' is the standard term — you will see it on safety data sheets, in academic journals, and in most textbooks. 'Benzol' survives in some industrial product labels and in historical references. 'Benzole' (also spelled 'benzol' in some older sources) can refer to a crude benzene-toluene-xylene mixture from coal tar, not pure benzene. If you are writing a chemistry report or workplace safety document, use 'benzene.' If you encounter 'benzol' on an old container label, it means the same substance but may be a less refined grade. For example: 'The lab ordered pure benzene for the experiment' vs. 'The factory used crude benzol as a fuel additive in the early 1900s.'

benzene ↗benzole

Etymology

LatinGermanEnglish

The word 'benzol' comes from 'benzoe' (an older name for benzoin resin) combined with the chemical suffix '-ol' (from Latin 'oleum' meaning oil). It was coined in the 19th century as a name for the aromatic hydrocarbon distilled from coal tar. The modern name 'benzene' later became the standard International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) term, while 'benzol' remained in trade and industrial use.