hydroquinone
UK[ˌhaɪdrəʊˈkwɪnəʊn]US[ˌhaɪdroʊˈkwɪnoʊn]
n
A white crystalline compound used as a photographic developer and as a skin-lightening agent.
Morpheme Breakdown
hydro
quinone
hydro
water
quinone
a type of chemical compound
Etymology
The term 'hydroquinone' is a modern scientific coinage from the late 19th century, constructed from international scientific vocabulary. The 'hydro-' prefix indicates its chemical relationship as a reduced (hydrogenated) derivative. The '-quinone' component traces back to 'quinine', the alkaloid from cinchona bark, as early quinones were derived from it. Thus, the name's literal logic describes the compound as "a hydrogenated form of quinone," directly reflecting its chemical structure and method of preparation.
Analysis
Structure: hydro (water) + quinone (a type of chemical compound)
- hydro: From Greek hydōr (water). In scientific terminology, it often denotes a relationship to hydrogen or water.
- quinone: From quin(ine) (an alkaloid) + -one (chemical suffix denoting a ketone). It refers to a specific class of organic compounds.
Examples
Hydroquinone is a common ingredient in some skin-lightening creams.
The chemist synthesized hydroquinone for use as a developing agent in the darkroom.
Prolonged use of high concentrations of hydroquinone may cause side effects.