Definition

A clear, colorless liquid that has a pleasant smell, often used in dental care and perfumes, and is derived from clove oil.

Example

The dentist used eugenol to help relieve my tooth pain during the procedure.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of eugenol?

Yeah, isn't it that stuff from clove oil?

Exactly! It’s used in some dental products as an analgesic.

That's cool! I didn't know it had so many uses.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Eugenol is derived from the name 'Eugenia' (a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae) and the suffix '-ol' (used in chemistry to denote alcohols). The word refers to a specific compound found in clove oil, which is derived from the Eugenia plant.

Memory Tip

Think of 'Eugenia' as the plant source of eugenol, and remember that the '-ol' suffix indicates it's a type of alcohol, specifically one found in cloves.

Visually Confused Words