noun
- A colorless or pale yellow liquid hydrocarbon obtained from wood tar or coal tar, used as a disinfectant and preservative.
Usage: chemistry; technical
Examples
- Creosol was historically used as an antiseptic in medical applications.
- The chemical composition of creosol makes it effective for wood preservation.
- Industrial processes extract creosol from coal tar distillation.
- Creosol has largely been replaced by modern synthetic disinfectants in most applications.