xanthene

[ zan-theen ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a yellow, crystalline substance, C 13 H 10 O, soluble in ether and slightly soluble in alcohol, used in organic synthesis and as a fungicide.

xanthene

/ ˈzænθiːn /

noun

1. a yellowish crystalline heterocyclic compound used as a fungicide; benzo-1,4-pyran. Its molecular structural unit is found in many dyes, such as rhodamine and fluorescein. Formula: CH 2 (C 6 H 4 ) 2 O

Word History and Origins

Origin of xanthene¹

1905–10; earlier xanthen; xantho-, -ene