1. A red or orange crystalline compound extracted from the wood of the brasilwood tree, formerly used as a dye.
Usage: chemistry; historical

Examples

• Brazilein was a valuable dye in medieval textile production.
• The chemical structure of brazilein makes it useful in laboratory research.
• Brasilwood merchants traded brazilein throughout Europe in the 16th century.
• Brazilein oxidizes to form brazilin, a related compound with similar properties.