Meanings
plural eosins
- countableuncountablechemistryA red, acidic dye commonly used in histological stains.
The hematoxylin and eosin stain (H&E) is the most widely used histological stain.
2012, John D. Bancroft, Christopher Layton, “10: The hemotoxylins and eosin”, in S. Kim Suvarna, Christopher Layton, John D. Bancroft, editors, Bancroft's Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques, 7th edition, page 1732 more examples
Thus the fluorescence of the familiar dye eosin can be excited quite well by ultra-violet or short-wave blue light, but is much better excited by visible green light with a wavelength close to that of the emitted radiation.
1999, Dan J. Goldstein, Understanding the Light Microscope, page 91Eosins are acid xanthene or phthalein dyes. Eosin Y, eosin B, phloxine and erythrosin (which unlike other eosins, is halogenated with iodine), are the common members of this group of dyes.
2000, J. Ochei, A. Kolhatkar, Medical Laboratory Science: Theory And Practice, page 450
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna red fluorescent dye resulting from the action of bromine on fluorescein; used in cosmetics and as a biological stain for studying cell structures
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἠώς“dawn”
- GermanEosin
- Englisheosin
Borrowed from German Eosin, coined by Heinrich Caro, from Ancient Greek ἠώς (ēṓs, “dawn”) + -in.
More words from German, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan eosina
- eosinared, acidic dye
Dutch eosine, roodsel
- eosinered, acidic dye
- roodselred, acidic dye
Finnish eosiini
- eosiinired, acidic dye
French éosine
- éosinered, acidic dye
German Eosin
- Eosinred, acidic dye
Italian eosina
- eosinared, acidic dye
Spanish eosina
- eosinared, acidic dye
Swedish eosin
- eosinred, acidic dye
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
eosin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eosin
“eosin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eosin. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eosin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eosin.
Source: eosin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.