Carbols

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Plural forms of carbol, a chemical disinfectant based on phenol used in medical and sanitary applications
2. Multiple units or quantities of carbol, an antiseptic solution derived from phenol employed for sterilization and hygiene
3. Several instances of carbol, a phenol-based germicidal agent historically used as a disinfectant in healthcare and industrial settings

Etymology: "Carbols" is the plural of "carbol," a clipped form of "carbolic acid," the disinfectant first obtained from coal tar. The name combines "carbon," the element that dominates coal, with the Latin "oleum," meaning "oil," since the compound was extracted from oily coal-tar fractions.