benzoin

UK: /ˈbɛnzɔɪn/, /bɛnˈzəʊɪn/

US: (ben′zō in, -zoin, ben zō′in)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ben•zo•in¹  (ben′zō in, -zoin, ben zō′in), n. 

1. Also called gum benjamin, gum benzoin. a reddish-brown, aromatic balsamic resin occurring in almondlike fragments and having a vanillalike odor, obtained from trees of the genus Styrax, esp. S. benzoin, of Java, Sumatra, etc.: used in the manufacture of perfume and cosmetics and in medicine internally as an expectorant and externally as an antiseptic.
2. Plant Biology Also called benjamin, benjamin-bush. any plant belonging to the genus Lindera (Benzoin), of the laurel family, including the spicebush and similar aromatic plants.

• Italian benzoi Arabic
• Arabic lubān jāwī frankincense of Java (lu- probably constructed as the definite article); z of benzoin
• Portuguese beijoim and Spanish benjuí
• Middle French
• earlier benjoin 1550–60

ben•zo•in²  (ben′zō in, -zoin, ben zō′in), n. [Chem.]

1. Chemistry a white, slightly water-soluble powder, C₁₄H₁₂O₂, derived by the condensation of benzaldehyde in the presence of potassium cyanide, and used in organic synthesis.

• benzo- + -in²

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

benzoin / ˈbɛnzɔɪn -zəʊɪn bɛnˈzəʊɪn/ noun

1. Also called: benjamin a gum resin containing benzoic acid, obtained from various trees of the genus Styrax, esp S. benzoin of Java and Sumatra, and used in ointments, perfume, etc

Etymology: 16th Century: from French benjoin, from Old Catalan benjui, from Arabic lubān jāwī, literally: frankincense of Java