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furan
[ fyoor-an, fyoo-ran ]
/ ˈfyʊər æn, fyʊˈræn /
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noun
a colorless, liquid, unsaturated, five-membered heterocyclic compound, C4H4O, obtained from furfural: used chiefly in organic synthesis.
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Also called furfuran.
Origin of furan
First recorded in 1890–95; aphetic form of furfuran
Words nearby furan
Funston, FUPA, fuqaha, fur, furaldehyde, furan, furanose, furazolidone, furbearer, furbelow, furbish
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for furan
furan
/ (ˈfjʊəræn, fjʊəˈræn) /
noun
a colourless flammable toxic liquid heterocyclic compound, used in the manufacture of cotton textiles and in the synthesis of nylon. Formula: C 4 H 4 OAlso called: furfuran
Word Origin for furan
C19: shortened form of furfuran, from furfur
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
Scientific definitions for furan
furan
[ fyur′ăn′, fyu-răn′ ]
Any of a group of colorless, volatile, organic compounds containing a ring of four carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. Furans are obtained from wood oils and used in the synthesis of many organic compounds.
The simplest such compound, consisting of a furan ring with two double bonds and attached to four hydrogen atoms. Chemical formula: C4H4O.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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