anthracene

American  

[an-thruh-seen] / ˈæn θrəˌsin /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, crystalline powder, C 14 H 12 , 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.

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anthracene British  

/ 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

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anthracene Scientific  

/ ăn′thrə-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: C ₁₄ H ₁₀ .

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Etymology

Origin of anthracene

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

Example Sentences

It tested for 14 toxic substances commonly found after wildfires: heavy metals such as arsenic and lead; polyaromatic hydrocarbons such as anthracene and napthalene; and dioxins.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

Their successful synthesis and characterization of a novel molecule called "BNBN anthracene" has opened up new possibilities for the development of advanced electronic devices.

From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2023

Then they tracked the resulting annihilation radiation at the farthest edges of their experiment, using two photomultiplier tubes, anthracene crystals and a scintillation counter as a gamma-ray detector.

From Scientific American • Mar. 16, 2023

Many synthetical processes for the preparation of anthracene and its derivatives are known.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various

Such dyes as aniline black, alizarin blue, anthracene brown, tartrazine, some of the azo-reds and naphthol green resist the influence of light as well as, if not better than, any natural colouring-matter.

From Coal and What We Get from It by Meldola, Raphael