carbolic acid
noun
: phenol sense 1
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Documents also list the death of a teacher, Mary Lila Jenks, who died of an opium overdose in 1905 and a son of the superintendent, a 3-year-old who died after drinking a bottle of carbolic acid. 
Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Aug. 2021 The third body was liberally washed in carbolic acid and covered with ice to be exhibited for visitors. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 25 Apr. 2021 Her hands were breaking out due to the use of carbolic acid and other harsh antiseptics in the hospital. Jennifer Barger, National Geographic, 7 July 2020 Then Lister invented antisepsis—a technique involving carbolic acid that stopped surgical patients from getting life-threatening infections. Matt Beane, Wired, 8 June 2020 In 1922, engineers at the Water Department of Cleveland did tests of the city’s drinking water to respond to claims that the water tasted medicinal or like carbolic acid. Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 19 June 2019 The antiseptic Lister ends up using is carbolic acid, which is extracted from coal tar, of all places. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2017 Infection rates plummeted when Lister used carbolic acid to wash hands and scalpels, to dress wounds, and to sterilize sutures. John J. Ross, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2017 Lister found that cleansing the wound with carbolic acid cut the amputation rate to 9%. John J. Ross, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2017 See More
Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Aug. 2021 The third body was liberally washed in carbolic acid and covered with ice to be exhibited for visitors. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 25 Apr. 2021 Her hands were breaking out due to the use of carbolic acid and other harsh antiseptics in the hospital. Jennifer Barger, National Geographic, 7 July 2020 Then Lister invented antisepsis—a technique involving carbolic acid that stopped surgical patients from getting life-threatening infections. Matt Beane, Wired, 8 June 2020 In 1922, engineers at the Water Department of Cleveland did tests of the city’s drinking water to respond to claims that the water tasted medicinal or like carbolic acid. Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 19 June 2019 The antiseptic Lister ends up using is carbolic acid, which is extracted from coal tar, of all places. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2017 Infection rates plummeted when Lister used carbolic acid to wash hands and scalpels, to dress wounds, and to sterilize sutures. John J. Ross, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2017 Lister found that cleansing the wound with carbolic acid cut the amputation rate to 9%. John J. Ross, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary carb- + Latin oleum oil — more at oil
First Known Use
circa 1859, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
carbolic acid
noun
: phenol sense 1