Daily Almanac for
Nov 28, 2009
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ben•zo•in



Pronunciation: (ben'zō-in, -zoin, ben-zō'in), [key]
—n.
1. Also called gum benjamin, gum benzoin. a reddish-brown, aromatic balsamic resin occurring in almondlike fragments and having a vanillalike odor, obtained from trees of the genus Styrax, esp. S. benzoin, of Java, Sumatra, etc.: used in the manufacture of perfume and cosmetics and in medicine internally as an expectorant and externally as an antiseptic.
2. Also called benjamin, benjamin-bush. any plant belonging to the genus Lindera (Benzoin), of the laurel family, including the spicebush and similar aromatic plants.

ben•zo•in



Pronunciation: (ben'zō-in, -zoin, ben-zō'in), [key]
—n. Chem.
a white, slightly water-soluble powder, C14H12O2, derived by the condensation of benzaldehyde in the presence of potassium cyanide, and used in organic synthesis.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

benzoic aldehydebenzol
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