aniline

 
Pronunciation: /ˈanɪliːn, -lɪn/

noun

[mass noun] Chemistry
  • a colourless oily liquid present in coal tar. It is used in the manufacture of dyes, drugs, and plastics, and was the basis of the earliest synthetic dyes.
    • Chemical formula: C6H5NH2

Origin:

mid 19th century: from anil 'indigo' (from which it was originally obtained), via French and Portuguese from Arabic an-nīl (from Sanskrit nīlī, from nīla 'dark blue')