phenanthrene

[ fuh-nan-threen ]
/ fəˈnæn θrin /

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, shiny, crystalline, water-insoluble isomer of anthracene, C14H10, derived from coal tar: used chiefly in dyestuffs and in the synthesis of drugs.

Origin of phenanthrene

1880–85; phen- + anthr- + -ene

Words nearby phenanthrene

phemister graft, phenacaine, phenacetin, phenaceturic acid, phenacite, phenanthrene, phenanthrenequinone, phenarsazine chloride, phenate, phenazine, phenazopyridine

Example sentences from the Web for phenanthrene

  • Phenanthrene forms a quinone which has been utilized as a source of colouring-matters, but these are comparatively unimportant.

    Coal |Raphael Meldola

  • The next members are the isomers anthracene and phenanthrene, C14H10, formed from three benzene nuclei.

    Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for phenanthrene

phenanthrene
/ (fɪˈnænθriːn) /

noun

a colourless crystalline aromatic compound isomeric with anthracene: used in the manufacture of dyes, drugs, and explosives. Formula: C 14 H 10

Word Origin for phenanthrene

C19: from pheno- + anthracene

Medical definitions for phenanthrene

phenanthrene
[ fə-năn′thrēn′ ]

n.

A colorless crystalline hydrocarbon obtained by fractional distillation of coal-tar oils and used in drugs.

Scientific definitions for phenanthrene

phenanthrene
[ fə-năn′thrēn′ ]

A colorless, crystalline hydrocarbon obtained by fractional distillation of coal-tar oils and used in dyes, drugs, and explosives. Phenanthrene is an isomer of anthracene and has three benzene rings fused together but not arranged in a straight line. Chemical formula: C14H10.