anisole
|an-i-sole|
🇺🇸
/ˈænɪsoʊl/
🇬🇧
/ˈænɪsəʊl/
anise-like aromatic ether (methoxybenzene)
Etymology
'anisole' originates from French, specifically the word 'anis', where 'anis' meant 'anise' (the plant/seed).
'anisole' changed from the French formation combining 'anis' + the chemical suffix '-ole' (19th-century chemical naming) and eventually became the modern English chemical name 'anisole'; it is also known by the systematic name 'methoxybenzene'.
Initially, the element 'anis-' referred to substances or oils derived from anise (an aromatic plant), but over time the term came to denote the specific ether 'methoxybenzene' with an anise-like odor.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a colorless, oily, aromatic organic liquid (methoxybenzene) with a sweet, anise-like odor, used as a solvent and as an intermediate in organic synthesis.
Anisole is often used as a solvent and as a starting material in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/13 10:51