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Glite Dictionary
dinitrophenol

dinitrophenol

1 9.9
A toxic yellow chemical used in labs and industry, sometimes used for weight loss
  • noun
  • /ˌdaɪnɪtroʊˈfiːnɒl/
  • Specialized
: dinitrofenol
  • One person died after improperly ingesting the pesticide dinitrophenol for weight loss, and one person died from respiratory problems following exposure to hydrochloric acid.
  • dinitrophenol (DNP)
  • 2,4-dinitrophenol

So we are not going to suggest, I am not suggesting that you use dinitrophenol.

Examples

  • In the 1930s, dinitrophenol was popular as a weight loss agent before being banned due to its toxicity.

  • So in effect, dinitrophenol is going to carry the protons from the intermembrane space in inside the cell.

  • She carefully handled dinitrophenol in the laboratory, knowing it was a toxic compound used in research.

  • The toxic properties of dinitrophenol raise concerns about its use as a potential weight loss drug.

Surface Forms

dinitrophenol singular
dinitrophenols plural

Morphology

dinitrophenol = nitrophenol (semi-transparent) = di + nitro + phenol

The name transparently denotes a phenol with two nitro groups in chemical nomenclature, but the components are technical combining forms that may be unfamiliar to general learners.

Etymology

The word dinitrophenol breaks into three parts: di- meaning 'two', nitro- from 'nitrogen' meaning a 'nitro' chemical part, and phenol meaning 'a kind of chemical made from a ring with an OH group'. So dinitrophenol simply means a phenol with two nitro groups, which explains why it is a small, strong chemical used in research and why it can be toxic.