benzene

benzene — noun

1. a see-through, easily burning liquid with the formula C6H6, taken from oil or co

1.名詞C1
釋義

a see-through, easily burning liquid with the formula C6H6, taken from oil or coal, and used as a starting material for plastics, dyes, and many other chemical products. It is also known to cause cancer if breathed in over long periods.

例句

Workers at the Kaohsiung refinery wear masks because benzene fumes can damage the blood over time.

domain: industrial / health context

Dr. Nia warned the students never to smell benzene directly from the open bottle.

同義詞
  • benzol

    older industrial name for crude benzene, still used in coal-tar contexts

  • phenyl hydride

    rare technical name highlighting its structure as a hydrogen-bearing phenyl group

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable. Subject is usually a chemical or industrial topic; rarely takes adjectives of taste or smell beyond 'sweet' (its faint odour). Distinguish from 'benzine' (a fuel mixture) and 'benzoin' (a tree resin) — same prefix, different substances.

常見錯誤

❌I added a benzene to the flask.
✅I added some benzene to the flask.
💡'benzene' is uncountable, so use 'some' or a measured amount, not 'a'.
❌The car runs on benzene.' (when meaning petrol)
✅The car runs on petrol.
💡in English, fuel for cars is 'petrol' (UK) or 'gasoline' (US); 'benzene' is the pure C6H6 chemical.