Anilines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of organic compounds that contain a phenyl group attached to an amino group, commonly used in dyes and pharmaceuticals
2. Substances characterized by an amine directly bonded to a benzene ring, significant in the manufacture of various colored dyes
3. Organic molecules featuring a primary amine connected to an aromatic ring, often utilized in chemical synthesis and industrial applications

Etymology: Aniline is named for indigo, the blue dye. The word traces back through Portuguese "anil", meaning indigo, which in turn came from Arabic "nīl", itself borrowed from Sanskrit "nīla", meaning dark blue. The chain is a long one: a word for a plant dye travelled across Asia and into Iberia before reaching modern chemistry. The chemical name arrived in the nineteenth century. German chemist Carl Julius Fritzsche coined "Anilin" for a substance he obtained by distilling indigo, and the name stuck because that dye was the original source of the compound. The English form "aniline" was borrowed from German. The ending "-ine" was added to label the compound as an organic amine, a chemical family whose names were given the same suffix. "Anilines" is simply the plural, referring to the whole class of compounds derived from aniline.

Synonyms: amines, aniline derivatives