farnesol

[ fahr-nuh-sawl, -sol ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless, unsaturated, liquid alcohol, C 15 H 26 O, having a slight floral odor, extracted from the flowers of the acacia, cassia oil, or the like: used in perfumery.

farnesol

/ ˈfɑːnɪˌsɒl /

noun

1. a colourless aromatic sesquiterpene alcohol found in many essential oils and used in the form of its derivatives in perfumery; 3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienol. Formula: C 15 H 26 O

Word History and Origins

Origin of farnesol¹

1900–05; < New Latin ( Acacia ) farnes ( iana ) Farnese acacia (named after Cardinal O. Farnese, 17th-century Italian ) + -ol ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of farnesol¹

C20: from New Latin ( Acacia ) farnesiāna ; named after Odoardo Farnese , C17 Italian cardinal

Example Sentences

Quorum sensing in the dimorphic fungus Candida albicans is mediated by farnesol.

From Nature

Using a specially designed device to shear plaque off the disks, the researchers removed more than twice as much plaque from surfaces treated with farnesol-carrying nanoparticles as compared with those treated with farnesol alone.

From Science Magazine

Applying farnesol alone had negligible impact, the researchers report in ACS Nano.

From Science Magazine

The inner core reacts to high acidity in the mouth, which loosens up the nanospheres and preferentially releases their contents—the antibacterial drug farnesol—in decay-prone regions where it’s needed most.

From Science Magazine