alizarin

[uh-liz-er-in]

noun Chemistry.

a solid appearing reddish-orange as crystals and brownish-yellow as powder, C14H8O4, one of the earliest known dyes, formerly obtained in its natural state from madder and now derived from anthraquinone: used chiefly in the synthesis of other dyes.

Also a·liz·a·rine

[uh-liz-er-in, -uh-reen] /əˈlɪz ər ɪn, -əˌrin/.

Origin of alizarin

1825–35; < French alizarine, equivalent to alizar(i) (< Spanish < Arabic al the + ʿaṣārah juice) + -ine -ine¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for alizarin

Historical Examples of alizarin

Good and durable blues are obtained from indigo and alizarin.
The Decoration of Leather
Georges de Rcy
This is filtered off from the alizarin lake, heated to boiling, and acidified with hydrochloric acid.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley
The anthrapurpurin colours resist soap and light quite as effectively as those produced with alizarin.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley
Wash the alizarin thus separated, dry it81 by simple exposure to air, and purify it by repeated crystallisation out of alcohol.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley
From the alizarin-potassium thus obtained the alizarin is set free by the aid of hydrochloric acid.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for alizarin

alizarin

noun

a brownish-yellow powder or orange-red crystalline solid used as a dye and in the manufacture of other dyes. Formula: C 6 H 4 (CO) 2 C 6 H 2 (OH) 2

Word Origin for alizarin

C19: probably from French alizarine, probably from Arabic al-’asārah the juice, from ’asara to squeeze

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

alizarin in Medicine

alizarin

[ə-lĭz′ər-ĭn]

An orange-red crystalline compound used in making dyes and as an indicator.