Phenide

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chemical compound or ion in which a phenyl group carries a negative charge or is bonded to a metal atom
2. An organic anion made of a phenyl ring, usually found as a salt or as part of a metal-containing compound
3. A salt or metal complex formed when the phenyl group, a benzene ring missing one hydrogen, bonds to another element

Etymology: The chemist's word "phenide" is built from "phen-", a shortened form of "phenyl", plus the suffix "-ide". The suffix comes from "oxide", and chemists began using "-ide" in the early 1800s to mark binary compounds and, later, negatively charged ions. Attaching it to a hydrocarbon group therefore names a carbanion, the phenyl group with a negative charge, rather than a neutral compound. "Phenyl" itself traces to "phene", a name given to benzene in the 1830s. The Greek root "phaino", meaning "to shine", refers to the bright, illuminating gas and oil that benzene-rich coal products were used to make. Chemists later applied "phen-" to a family of benzene-based substances, and "phenide" follows that pattern. Usage varies, though, and modern texts often prefer "phenyl anion" or "phenoxide" for the related oxygen-bearing ion.