aromatic, a. and n.
(ærəʊˈmætɪk)
Also 4–8 -yk, -yque, -icke.
[a. F. aromatique (14th c.), ad. L. arōmatic-us, a. Gr. ἀρωµατικός: see aroma.]
A. adj.
1. Having the fragrant smell, and warm, slightly pungent, taste, of spice; yielding aroma; spicy, fragrant, sweet-smelling.
| 1366 Mandeville xvi. 174 Ensense and other aromatyk thinges of noble smelle. 1486 Caxton Curial 6 The grete and delycious wynes aromatyques that he dranke. 1542 Boorde Dyetary iv. (1870) 239 Herbes of aromatyck and redolent sauours. 1664 H. More Myst. Iniq. 469 Whose dead Bodies were embalmed with Aromatick odours. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 150 Of a very agreeable Smell, and a biting Aromatick Taste. 1732 Pope Ess. Man i. 200 Die of a rose in aromatic pain. 1845 Darwin Voy. Nat. ii. (1879) 31 The leaves of the camphor, pepper, cinnamon, and clove trees were delightfully aromatic. |
2. Chem. Epithet of an extensive group of organic compounds, consisting of benzene and its homologues (i.e. hydrocarbons of the formula Cn H2n–6, with the alcohols, acids, and bases derived from them). In mod. use, pertaining to or designating a compound with one or more planar conjugated rings of the form typified by the benzene molecule; aromatic sextet, a group of six pi-electrons in the ring of an aromatic molecule regarded as responsible for its aromaticity.
Called aromatique by Kekulé in 1865 (Bull. de la Soc. Chim. de Paris), on account of the peculiar and fragrant odours possessed by some of them, especially by certain derivatives of benzene, such as benzoic acid, bitter almond oil, &c.
| [1814 Sir H. Davy Agric. Chem. 146 Woods that contain aromatic oils are remarked for their indestructibility.] 1869 Watts Dict. Chem. VI. 193 The aromatic compounds form a group running parallel, as it were, with the fatty bodies, and like the latter including hydrocarbons, alcohols, acids, amines, etc. Ibid. 206 Several monatomic aromatic acids exist as natural products. Thus benzoic acid exists ready formed in gum benzoin. 1879 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. XXXVI. 633 By this synthesis, the aromatic nature of phloroglucinol is definitely established. 1909 C. A. Keane Mod. Org. Chem. vii. 119 Ethylene forms both aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. 1925 Armit & Robinson in Jrnl. Chem. Soc. CXXVII. 1605 Six electrons are able to form a group which resists disruption, and may be called the aromatic sextet. 1955 Chem. Rev. LV. 10 One of the most important developments in organic chemistry in recent years has been the attention devoted to what may be described collectively as ‘non-benzenoid aromatic compounds’. [Note] This term is taken here to refer to carbocyclic compounds only and is not meant to include heterocycles. 1964 J. W. Linnett Electronic Struct. Molecules vi. 89 The benzene molecule is too complicated for a complete theoretical treatment of all the thirty valence-shell electrons. Consequently attention has always been focused on the six electrons which, in the molecular orbital terminology, form the π-system. This is the group which has also been called the aromatic sextet. 1972 Sci. Amer. Aug. 32 (caption) Whether a given system is aromatic, nonaromatic or antiaromatic depends on how many of its electrons are ‘delocalized’. 1986 Pure & Applied Chem. LVIII. 197 There is generally a decrease in the stability of aromatic compounds as the number of heteroatoms increases. |
B. n. A substance or plant emitting a spicy odour; a fragrant drug; a spice.
| 1494 Fabyan vi. clxv. 160 Enoynted with ryche and precyous bawmys, and other oyntmentis, and aromatykes. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) I. 111 It keeps our Spice, and Aromatics sweet. 1748 Anson Voy. ii. i. 117 The trees..are most of them aromaticks. 1821 Combe (Dr. Syntax) Wife i. 278 While Ma'am the Aromatics blended, To gain the scent which she intended. |
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Add: [B.] 2. Chem. An aromatic compound.
| 1925 Jrnl. Inst. Petroleum Technologists XI. 5a β-Iso-amylnaphthalene forms some 10 per cent. of the total aromatics present in the crude oil. 1940 Industr. & Engin. Chem. Apr. 528/1 The problem of converting aliphatic hydrocarbons into aromatics is an old one. 1964 N. G. Clark Mod. Org. Chem. xviii. 374 Aromatics have..to be prepared from mineral oil by various high temperature reactions. 1973 Daily Tel. 25 Sept. 11/5 Abolishing five star could release up to 400,000 metric tons of aromatics and end the shortage of products such as styrene, polystyrene and phenol. 1986 Oil & Gas Jrnl. 25 Aug. 27 (caption) The 10 train plant will produce 300,000 tons/year of ethylene and 450,000 tons/year of aromatics. |