The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. A colorless, flammable, liquid aromatic hydrocarbon, C6H6, derived from petroleum and used in or to manufacture a wide variety of chemical products, including DDT, detergents, insecticides, and motor fuels. Also called benzine, benzol.
n. An aromatic hydrocarbon of formula C6H6 whose structure consists of a ring of alternate single and double bonds.
n. Sometimes used in place of the phenyl group
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A volatile, very inflammable liquid, C6H6, contained in the naphtha produced by the destructive distillation of coal, from which it is separated by fractional distillation. The name is sometimes applied also to the impure commercial product or benzole, and also, but rarely, to a similar mixed product of petroleum.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A hydrocarbon (C6H6) formed whenever organic bodies are subjected to destructive distillation at a high temperature, and obtained commercially from coal-tar.
n. Same as benzin or benzine.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a colorless liquid hydrocarbon; highly inflammable; carcinogenic; the simplest of the aromatic compounds
Word Usage
"In addition to greenhouse gas reductions, the report looked at new regulations to reduce the release of toxic and carcinogenic emissions such as benzene, which is released from gas pumps and acrylonitrile, which is used to manufacture synthetic rubber."