a white, crystalline, water-soluble solid, C 7 H 8 O 2 , sweet but unpleasant in taste, that reddens on exposure to air: obtained from many lichens or produced synthetically and used chiefly as a reagent for certain carbohydrates.
Also, orcin
[awr-sin] /ˈɔr sɪn/ (Show IPA).
Origin
1875-80; < Neo-Latinorcin(a) (< Italianorcelloorchil, by alteration) + -ol2
British Dictionary definitions for orcinol
orcinol
/ˈɔːsɪˌnɒl/
noun
1.
a colourless crystalline water-soluble solid that occurs in many lichens and from which the dyes found in litmus are derived. Formula: CH3C6H3(OH)2
Word Origin
C20: from New Latin orcina, from Italian orcelloorchil