Nigrosine
/ˈnaɪ.ɡrə.siːn/noun
A dark blue to black synthetic dye used in inks, stains, and microscopy.
Did you know?Nigrosine is an artificial dye name built from Latin niger, meaning “black,” with the chemical suffix -ine; it does not come from an ancient occult word, but its name deliberately evokes darkness.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
niger
“black, dark, swarthy”
19th Century
English
nigrosine
“a synthetic black dye name formed from Latin niger plus a chemical suffix”
Modern English
English
nigrosine
“a dark synthetic dye used for staining and coloring”
Modern French
French
nigrosine
“a technical dye term adopted in scientific and industrial usage”