carvacrol

[ kahr-vuh-krawl, -krohl ]

noun

1. a colorless, thick, oily liquid, C 10 H 14 O, having a mintlike odor: used chiefly as a disinfectant, as a fungicide, and as a scent in the manufacture of perfume.

Word History and Origins

Origin of carvacrol¹

1850–55; < Medieval Latin caru ( i ) caraway + Latin acr- (stem of acer sharp; acrid ) + -ol ¹

Example Sentences

For basil, those oils are called eugenol and linalool; oregano gets its flavors from carvacrol and thymol.

From Salon

Oregano also contains two compounds, thymol and carvacrol, that have strong antibacterial activity.

From Salon

But Myrmica ants have evolved the ability to detoxify carvacrol, an insecticide that is the principal ingredient of the oregano’s defense system.

From New York Times

An extra strong whiff of carvacrol signals not only the right food plant for the infant caterpillars but also the fact that beneath this particular plant is a nest of Myrmica ants.

From New York Times

They double their output of carvacrol, Dr. Thomas’s group reported last month in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. And this, the scientists propose, is the cue for female Large Blues seeking the right place to lay their eggs.

From New York Times