Relating to or containing a chemical group consisting of a benzene ring bonded to an oxygen atom (-O-C6H5), used in naming organic compounds.
From 'benzo-' (benzene) + '-oxy' (suffix meaning oxygen-containing; from Greek oxys meaning sharp or oxygen). A descriptive term from systematic nomenclature in organic chemistry, likely established in the early 20th century.
The benzoxy group is sometimes called a 'phenoxy' group in chemistry, and it's incredibly useful because benzene rings bonded through oxygen atoms have totally different properties than direct carbon-to-carbon bonds—it's like inserting a tiny spacer between two molecular LEGO blocks that completely changes how they interact.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.