benzonitrile

noun
ben·​zo·​ni·​trile | \ ¦ben-(ˌ)zō-¦nī-trəl\
plural -s

Definition of benzonitrile

: a colorless toxic oily compound C6H5CN of almond-oil odor made by fusing a mixture of sodium cyanide and sodium benzenesulfonate and in other ways and used chiefly as a solvent for synthetic resins

called also cyanobenzene, phenyl cyanide

History and Etymology for benzonitrile

German benzonitril, from benz- + nitril nitrile

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