phenylacetic
Chemistry
adjective
phenylacetic acid, a white, crystalline acid with a sweet odour, C6H5CH2COOH, used in chemical synthesis and perfume manufacture.
Origin
Late 19th century; earliest use found in Nature: a weekly journal of science. Quot. 1870 refers to a paper apparently read in 1869 to German learned society by a Dr Zinke, but this has not been traced.