Standard Lemma guide

hydroquinone

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌhaɪdɹəˈkwɪnəʊn/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene, used as a mild reducing agent in photographic developing; isomeric with catechol and resorcinol.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: quinol

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ Proto-Hellenic *údōr Ancient Greek ῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr) Ancient Greek ῠ̔δρο- (hŭdro-)der. English hydro- English quinine Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English quinic German Ketonbor. English ketone English -one English quinone English hydroquinone From hydro- + quinone.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: hidroquinona — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Chinese Mandarin: 氫醌 /氢醌 (qīngkūn) — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Chinese Mandarin: 對苯二酚 /对苯二酚 (duìběn'èrfēn) — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • French: hydroquinone — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • German: Hydrochinon — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Hungarian: hidrokinon — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Korean: 하이드로퀴논 (haideurokwinon) — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Korean: 히드로퀴논 (hideurokwinon) — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Portuguese: hidroquinona — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Spanish: hidroquinona — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene
  • Thai: ไฮโดรควิโนน — the diphenol para-dihydroxy benzene