Definition

A type of chemical compound that is made from phenol and contains nitrogen and oxygen; it is known for being toxic and is used in some pesticides.

Example

Dinitrophenol is often used in laboratories for various chemical reactions.

Conversation

I was reading about some chemicals, and I came across dinitrophenol today.

Oh really? What does it do?

It’s actually used in some pesticides, but it's pretty toxic.

That sounds dangerous! I didn’t know chemicals could be so harmful.

Root Explanation

Dinitrophenol is formed from "di-" (meaning two), "nitro" (from Latin "nitrum", meaning saltpeter or nitrate), and "phenol" (from Greek "phaino", meaning to show or appear, and "ol", a suffix used in chemistry to denote alcohols or phenolic compounds). The term refers to a chemical compound that contains two nitro groups attached to a phenol structure.

Memory Tip

Think of 'two' ('di-') nitro groups being attached to a 'phenol' structure, which helps you remember that dinitrophenol is a compound with two nitro groups.

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