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.

---

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

---

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 .

---

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

Anthracene was obtained from alizarine, and, after much labour, alizarine was prepared from anthracene.

From Heroes of Science Chemists by Muir, M. M. Pattison (Matthew Moncrieff Pattison)

The former, which is by far the more important, is now prepared artificially from the coal-tar product anthracene, and has almost entirely superseded madder.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various