Saffranine
/ˈsæf.rə.nɪn/noun
A synthetic reddish-orange dye used especially for coloring textiles and staining biological specimens.
Did you know?Saffranine is not made from saffron; it was named for the spice’s vivid orange-yellow color and later became an important biological stain.
Etymological Timeline
Early Medieval Period
Arabic
zaʿfarān
“Saffron, the intensely colored and highly valued spice”
Medieval Latin
Latin
safranum
“Saffron, borrowed through medieval trade and scholarship”
12th–13th Century
Old French
safran
“Saffron; the source of the color-name element”
19th Century
French
safranine
“A dye name formed from safran, “saffron,” with the chemical suffix -ine”
19th Century
English
saffranine
“A synthetic reddish-orange dye, also used as a biological stain”
Modern English
English
saffranine
“A laboratory and textile dye producing red, orange, or pink coloration”