fullerene

F4U1L1L1E1R1E1N1E1
/ˈfʊləɹˌin/

noun

Any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules whose atoms lie at the vertices of a polyhedron having 12 pentagonal and 2 or more hexagonal faces.

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Meanings

nounfullerene (plural fullerenes)

plural fullerenes

  1. chemistryAny of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules whose atoms lie at the vertices of a polyhedron having 12 pentagonal and 2 or more hexagonal faces.
  2. chemistryAny closed-cage compound having twenty or more carbon atoms consisting entirely of 3-coordinate carbon atoms.
  3. broadlychemistryThe class of carbon allotropes consisting of tubular carbon molecules (carbon nanotubes) and spheroidal carbon molecules (traditional fullerenes).

Origin

After Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome, + -ene.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 富勒烯, 足球烯
  • 富勒烯 (fùlèxī)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
  • 足球烯 (zúqiúxī)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
  • 巴克球 (bākèqiú)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
  • 巴基球 (bājīqiú)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Czech fullereny
  • fullerenyany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Finnish fullereeni
  • fullereeniany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
French fullerène
  • fullerèneany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
German Fullerene, Fulleren
  • Fullereneany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
  • Fullerenany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Greek φουλερένιο
  • φουλερένιο (foulerénio)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Hungarian fullerén
  • fullerénany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Irish fullairéin
  • fullairéinany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Japanese フラーレン
  • フラーレン (furāren)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Lithuanian fulerenas
  • fulerenasany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Persian فولرن
  • فولرنany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Portuguese fulereno
  • fulerenoany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Punjabi ਫੂਲੇਰੀਨਜ਼
  • ਫੂਲੇਰੀਨਜ਼ (phūlerīnaz)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Turkish fulleren
  • fullerenany of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Ukrainian фулерени, бакіболи
  • фулерени (fulereny)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
  • бакіболи (bakiboly)any of a class of allotropes of carbon having hollow molecules
Cite this entry
APA

fullerene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fullerene

MLA

“fullerene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fullerene. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fullerene,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fullerene.

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