What does "anthracene" mean?

A tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (an acene containing three fused rings) obtained from coal tar; used in the manufacture of wood preservatives, insecticides and the dye alizarin; it is isomeric with phenanthrene.

What is a synonym for "anthracene"?

Common synonyms include: benzene, naphthalene.

Anthracene

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (an acene containing three fused rings) obtained from coal tar; used in the manufacture of wood preservatives, insecticides and the dye alizarin; it is isomeric with phenanthrene. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms

benzene naphthalene

Etymology

Borrowed from French anthracène, coined by its co-discoverer Auguste Laurent in 1837, from Ancient Greek ἄνθραξ (ánthrax, “coal”) + -ene. By surface analysis, anthrac- + -ene.

Related phrases

coal tar

More for "anthracene"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.