Meanings
nounxanthene (countable and uncountable, plural xanthenes)
plural xanthenes
- countableuncountablechemistryAny of a group of tricyclic heterocycles (dibenzopyrans) that are the basis for a range of dyes such as fluorescein and eosin.
Origin
Internationalism reflecting New Latin combining forms: xanth- + -ene.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan xantè
- xantèchemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Chinese Cantonese 氧雜蒽 /氧杂蒽, 呫噸 /呫吨
- 氧雜蒽 /氧杂蒽 (joeng⁵ zaap⁶ jan¹)chemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
- 呫噸 /呫吨 (zim¹ deon¹)chemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Chinese Mandarin 氧雜蒽 /氧杂蒽, 呫噸 /呫吨
- 氧雜蒽 /氧杂蒽 (yǎngzá'ēn)chemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
- 呫噸 /呫吨 (zhāndūn)chemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Finnish ksanteeni
- ksanteenichemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Irish xaintéin
- xaintéinchemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Japanese キサンテン
- キサンテン (kisanten)chemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Korean 잔텐, 크산텐
- 잔텐 (janten)chemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
- 크산텐 (keusanten)chemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Portuguese xanteno
- xantenochemistry: any of a group of tricyclic heterocycles
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
APA
xanthene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xanthene
MLA
“xanthene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xanthene. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “xanthene,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xanthene.
Source: xanthene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.