benzine
- noun
- /ˈbɛnziːn/
- Specialized
:
bencina
- Benzine is often used as a solvent in laboratories and industrial cleaning.
Examples
-
# it's a daydream dipped in benzine # # it's a medicated frenzy #
-
Austrol have benzine in petrol, which is a carcinogen.
-
You see these high levels of benzine and toluene?
-
Benzine, heavy metals, nitrates, Basically, the water's toxic.
-
In 1876 he despaired that "nearly every negro's vote could be secured for a mackerel or a pint of benzine."
Academic text (2011) -
But something unexpected in the air, detectable beneath the smell of benzine drifting down from the refineries of South Philadelphia, speared us as if with an ancient secret.
Academic text (2009) -
When using benzine, ensure proper ventilation due to its highly flammable nature.
-
He decided to clean the stained fabric with benzine, as it’s effective for removing oil-based spills.
Surface Forms
Morphology
benzine = benz + ine
Although formed from the chemical combining form 'benz-' + the substance suffix '-ine', the base 'benz-' is not a standalone English word and the meaning (a petroleum solvent distinct from benzene) is not transparently derivable by an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Benzine comes from the older name benzene, which was named after benzoin, a traded resin once called 'a fragrant resin', and the ending -ine marks it as a chemical. So benzine is a chemical liquid like benzene, which helps you remember it is a flammable solvent used for cleaning.
