ferrocene

[ fer-uh-seen ]

/ ˈfɛr əˌsin /

Save This Word!

noun Chemistry.

Also called dicyclopentadienyliron. an orange, crystalline, water-insoluble coordination compound, (C5H5)2Fe, having a camphorlike odor: used chiefly as an antiknock agent for gasoline and as a catalyst.Compare metallocene.

Also called dicyclopentadienyl metal. any of a class of analogous compounds containing a metal other than iron, as nickel or osmium.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of ferrocene

First recorded in 1950–55; ferro- + c(yclopentadi)ene

Words nearby ferrocene

ferritin, ferro-, ferroalloy, ferroaluminum, ferrocement, ferrocene, ferrocerium, ferrochromium, ferroconcrete, ferrocyanic acid, ferrocyanide

British Dictionary definitions for ferrocene

ferrocene

/ (ˈfɛrəʊˌsiːn) /

noun

a reddish-orange insoluble crystalline compound. Its molecules have an iron atom sandwiched between two cyclopentadiene rings. Formula: Fe(C 5 H 5) 2

Word Origin for ferrocene

C20: from ferro- + c (yclopentadi) 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