dinitrophenol

[ dahy-nahy-truh-fee-nawl, -nol ]

noun

, Chemistry, Pharmacology.

1. any of the six isomers consisting of phenol where two hydrogen atoms are substituted by nitro groups, C 6 H 4 N 2 O 5 , used in dyes and wood preservatives, and in biochemistry to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dinitrophenol¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; di- ¹ + nitrophenol

Example Sentences

Jamie George is believed to have manufactured up to 10,000 pills a month containing dinitrophenol, or DNP.

From BBC

Wallace cited other drugs that had injured patients, including dinitrophenol, used for weight loss, which had caused blindness and death in a few, and cinchophen, a drug used for rheumatism, which had caused liver damage.

From Slate

Dinitrophenol, for example, steps up the metabolism.

From The New Yorker

The fearful power of penta, which acts in much the same way as dinitrophenol, is illustrated in a fatal accident recently reported by the California State Department of Public Health.

From The New Yorker

The inquest found she died of an accidental drugs overdose, with the cause given as dinitrophenol toxicity.

From BBC