[f. BENZ-OIC + the ending of ALCOHOL. The spelling -OLE, is prob. intended to refer to L. oleum oil.]
1. Chem. (Benzol) The name given by Liebig in 1834 to what had at first been called benzine; generally used in chemistry till recent times, when it has been largely superseded by Hofmann’s name BENZENE. (Less correctly spelt benzole.)
1838. Thomson, Chem. Org. Bodies, 609. Mitscherlich … has given the name of benzin, altered by Liebig to benzol.
1869. Roscoe, Elem. Chem., 403. Benzol (or Benzene) … can be prepared from its elements by synthesis.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 337. Benzole is excessively inflammable, and its vapour mixed with air is explosive.
2. In comb., as amido-benzol (= aniline), nitro-benzol: see BENZENE.
1869. Roscoe, Elem. Chem., 409. In contact with reducing agents, nitro-benzol undergoes reduction to aniline. Ibid. Aniline … is benzol in which one atom of hydrogen is replaced by the monad group NH2, and it is therefore properly called Amido-benzol.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 338. Nitro-benzole … odour greatly resembling bitter almonds.
3. Min. (Benzole) Dana’s name for native benzene or benzol, as a species of his Benzole group of mineral ‘oils’ of the general formula Cn H2n–6; it has been detected in Rangoon tar.
