: any of various volatile flammable petroleum distillates used especially as solvents or as motor fuels
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebSomeone had been killed in the chair, their body dragged to the closet, then later removed, soaked in benzine or ether and ignited. Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Jan. 2022 Accordingly, his lieutenants doused his body in benzine, lighted it on fire and buried it in a nearby shell crater. Avi Selk, Washington Post, 20 May 2018 An earlier version of the headline on this article incorrectly spelled the chemical as benzine. Alexandra Berzon, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2017
Word History
Etymology
German Benzin, from benz-
First Known Use
1835, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
benzine
noun
ben·zine ˈben-ˌzēn ben-ˈ
: any of various volatile flammable petroleum distillates used especially as solvents or as motor fuels