1. A red or reddish-brown dye obtained from madder root or produced synthetically; used historically in textile dyeing.
Usage: chemistry; historical

Examples

• Purpurin was a valuable dye in medieval textile production.
• The chemist extracted purpurin from the madder plant roots.
• Synthetic purpurin replaced natural sources in the 19th century.
• The fabric was dyed with purpurin to achieve a deep red color.
• Purpurin and alizarin are both anthraquinone dyes used in industry.