anthracene

A1N1T1H4R1A1C3E1N1E1

noun

A tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (an acene containing three fused rings) obtained from coal tar; used in the manufacture of wood preservatives, insecticides and the dye alizarin; it is isomeric with phenanthrene.

OriginFrench anthracène ← Ancient Greek ἄνθραξ →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounanthracene (countable and uncountable, plural anthracenes)

plural anthracenes

  1. countableuncountablechemistryA tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (an acene containing three fused rings) obtained from coal tar; used in the manufacture of wood preservatives, insecticides and the dye alizarin; it is isomeric with phenanthrene.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἄνθραξ“coal”
  2. Frenchanthracène
  3. Englishanthracene

Borrowed from French anthracène, coined by its co-discoverer Auguste Laurent in 1837, from Ancient Greek ἄνθραξ (ánthrax, “coal”) + -ene. By surface analysis, anthrac- + -ene.

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan antracè
  • antracètricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Chinese Cantonese 蒽
  • 蒽 (jan¹)tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Chinese Mandarin 蒽
  • 蒽 (ēn)tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Finnish antraseeni
  • antraseenitricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
French anthracène
  • anthracènetricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Hindi अंगारेन्य
  • अंगारेन्य (aṅgārenya)tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Irish antraicéin
  • antraicéintricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Italian antracene
  • antracenetricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Japanese アントラセン
  • アントラセン (antorasen)tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Korean 안트라센
  • 안트라센 (anteurasen)tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Persian آنتراسن
  • آنتراسن (ântrâsen)tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Polish antracen
  • antracentricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Portuguese antraceno
  • antracenotricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Russian антраце́н
  • антраце́н (antracén)tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Spanish antraceno
  • antracenotricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Cite this entry
APA

anthracene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthracene

MLA

“anthracene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthracene. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anthracene,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthracene.

Source: anthracene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.