fuchsine

fuch·sine
F4U1C3H4S1I1N1E1
UK/ˈfuːksɪn/UK/ˈfuːkˌsiːn/US/ˈfjuksɪn/US/ˈfjukˌsin/

noun

A dye (rosaniline hydrochloride, C₂₀H₁₉N₃·HCl) usually a deep red or magenta colour.

Scrabble 16

Meanings

nounfuchsine (countable and uncountable, plural fuchsines)

plural fuchsines · alternative fuchsin

  1. countableuncountableA dye (rosaniline hydrochloride, C₂₀H₁₉N₃·HCl) usually a deep red or magenta colour.

    By other experiments a much finer subdivision can be made. A solution of .00000002ᵍ of the red coloring matter, fuchsine, in 1ᶜᶜ of alcohol gives a distinct color.

    1894, Rufus Phillips Williams, “What Chemistry Is”, in Introduction to Chemical Science, Boston: Ginn & Company, page 4
    2 more examples

    Acid members of this class include acid violets, soluble and alkali blues, wool blues, Acid Magenta which is the same as Acid Fuchsine, acid greens, patent blues, ketone blues, Neptune Green, Erioglaucine, and others.

    1961, Adnah Clifton Newell, William Holtrop, Coloring, Finishing and Painting Wood, C. A. Bennett, page 113

    When skin is stained with Altmann’s acid fuchsin methyl green the spiral filaments of the epidermis are stained only moderately, but typical mitochondria stain clearly.

    1962, William Montagna, “The Epidermis”, in The Structure and Function of Skin, 2nd edition, New York: Academic P, page 40

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

  1. GermanFuchs“fox”
  2. Frenchfuchsine
  3. Englishfuchsine

From French fuchsine, of unknown origin. Possibly from fuchsia + -ine, because of its colour, or from German Fuchs (“fox”) + -ine, because of the first manufacturer, Renard (renard means “fox” in French).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 品紅 /品红
  • 品紅 /品红 (pǐnhóng)Translations
Russian фукси́н
  • фукси́н (fuksín)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

fuchsine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fuchsine

MLA

“fuchsine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fuchsine. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fuchsine,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fuchsine.

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