A chemical compound derived from naphthalene (a hydrocarbon) used historically in antiseptics and as a component in dyes and pharmaceuticals.
From 'beta' (Greek letter indicating molecular position) + 'naphthol' (from 'naphtha,' an ancient word for flammable oil, + the chemical suffix '-ol' for alcohols). The term is a product of 19th-century organic chemistry nomenclature.
Beta-naphthol shows chemistry's old naming system based on molecular structure—saying 'beta' position told chemists exactly where atoms connected, like a detailed address for molecules before we had imaging technology.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.