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orcein

[awr-see-in]
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noun Chemistry.
  1. a red dye, the principal coloring matter of cudbear and orchil, obtained by oxidizing an ammoniacal solution of orcinol.

Origin of orcein

1830–40; arbitrary alteration of orcin; see orcinol
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for orcein

orcein

noun
  1. a brown crystalline material formed by the action of ammonia on orcinol and present in orchil: used as a dye, biological stain, and antiseptic. Formula: C 28 H 24 O 7 N 2

Word Origin

C19: see orcinol
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
orcein in Medicine

orcein

(ôr′sē-ĭn)
n.
  1. A natural dye derived from orcinol and used in various histologic staining methods as a purple dye complex.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.