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.