Dictionary  ben•zo•inPronunciation: (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•inPronunciation: (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.
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