orcin

O1R1C3I1N1

noun

The organic compound 3,5-dihydroxytoluene, found in many lichens and synthesizable from toluene.

OriginFrench orcine ← New Latin orcina ← Dutch orseille →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounorcin (countable and uncountable, plural orcins)

plural orcins

  1. countableuncountablechemistryThe organic compound 3,5-dihydroxytoluene, found in many lichens and synthesizable from toluene.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ṓws
  3. Proto-Italic*ausis
  4. Latinauris
  5. Latinauricula
  6. Latinōricula
  7. Italianoricello
  8. Arabic[script needed] ('urjālla)influ.
  9. Old Catalanorxella
  10. Old Frenchorchel
  11. Frenchorseille
  12. Dutchorseille
  13. New Latinorcina
  14. Frenchorcine
  15. Englishorcin

From French orcine, from New Latin orcina, from Dutch orseille, from French orseille, from Old French orchel, orseil, from Old Catalan orxella (influenced by dialectal Arabic [script needed] ('urjālla)), from Italian oricello, from Latin ōricilla, diminutive of ōricula (variant of auricula), both diminutives of auris (“ear”)) + illa (a double diminutive suffix) or from auris (“ear”) + cula + illa. The name of the dye was influenced by the visual resemblance of the lichen used in production to a small ear.

More words from French, New Latin, Dutch

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

CorinnicorNoriccorniciron
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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