anthracene

[ an-thruh-seen ]

/ ˈæn θrəˌsin /

noun Chemistry.

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.

Nearby words

anthophore, anthophyllite, anthotaxy, anthozoan, anthrac-, anthracene, anthracite, anthracnose, anthraco-, anthracoid, anthracosilicosis

Origin of anthracene

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anthracene

Anthracene Brown is largely employed in the production of compound shades.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8|Various
The actual amount of anthracene contained in coal-tar corresponds to about ½ lb.
Coal|Raphael Meldola
Many synthetical processes for the preparation of anthracene and its derivatives are known.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2|Various
Another trihydroxy-anthraquinone, although not obtained directly from anthracene, must be claimed as a tar-product.
Coal|Raphael Meldola

The whole mass dissolves on heating, and the anthracene crystallizes out on cooling.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for anthracene

anthracene

/ (ˈænθrəˌsiːn) /

noun

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

Word Origin for anthracene

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

Science definitions for anthracene

anthracene

[ ăn′thrə-sēn′ ]

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.