Anthracene

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Anthracene \An"thra*cene\, n. [Gr. 'a`nqrax coal.] (Chem.)
     A solid hydrocarbon, {C6H4.C2H2.C6H4}, which accompanies
     naphthalene in the last stages of the distillation of coal
     tar. Its chief use is in the artificial production of
     alizarin. [Written also {anthracin}.]
     [1913 Webster]