Phenolate

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A negatively charged ion formed from the deprotonation of phenol, often used in chemical reactions and syntheses
2. A chemical species that acts as a weak base derived from phenol, commonly appearing in various organic compounds
3. A compound characterized by a hydroxyl group bonded to an aromatic ring, typically involved in complexation and catalysis

Etymology: "Phenolate" is a chemist's construction built from older names. Its stem comes from "phene," a former name for benzene, which was formed from Greek "phainein," "to shine," probably a reference to the illuminating gas and coal tar from which these compounds were first obtained. The "-ol" ending comes from "alcohol," since phenol carries a hydroxyl group like an alcohol does. The final "-ate" is the standard chemical suffix for a salt or ion formed when an acid loses a hydrogen. Phenol is weakly acidic, and removing the hydrogen from its hydroxyl group leaves the phenolate ion. The name therefore describes that deprotonated form, not the neutral hydroxyl compound in the gloss you supplied.