Anthol

/ˈænθɔl/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound or substance extracted from or derived from flowers.

Etymology

From Greek 'anthos' (flower) + '-ol' (chemical suffix for alcohols and compounds). This combining form became standard in chemistry when scientists began isolating active compounds from plant materials.

Kelly Says

When chemists see '-ol' they know they're dealing with specific molecular structures—anthol represents one of those moments when science could finally name and isolate the actual chemicals making flowers smell and look the way they do.

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