anthracene

[ an-thruh-seen ]

nounChemistry.
  1. a colorless, crystalline powder, C14H12, obtained from coal tar and having a violet fluorescence: used chiefly as a source of anthraquinone and alizarin, and in the process of measuring radioactive materials.

Origin of anthracene

1
First recorded in 1860–65; anthrac- + -ene

Words Nearby anthracene

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British Dictionary definitions for anthracene

anthracene

/ (ˈænθrəˌsiːn) /


noun
  1. a colourless tricyclic crystalline solid having a slight blue fluorescence, used in the manufacture of chemicals, esp diphenylamine and alizarin, and as crystals in scintillation counters. Formula: C 6 H 4 (CH) 2 C 6 H 4

Origin of anthracene

1
C19: from anthrax + -ene

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for anthracene

anthracene

[ ănthrə-sēn′ ]


  1. A crystalline hydrocarbon that consists of three benzene rings fused together. It is extracted from coal tar and is used to make dyes and organic chemicals. Chemical formula: C14H10.

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