noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfjʊə.ɹæn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈfjʊɹ.æn/
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds containing a ring of four carbon atoms, two double bonds and an oxygen atom; especially the simplest one, C4H4O.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a colorless toxic flammable liquid used in the synthesis of nylon
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: furane, furfuran
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: organic compound
Narrower terms: nitrofuran
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin furfur Akkadian 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)bor. Aramaic כוחלא (kuḥlā)bor. Arabic كُحْل (kuḥl) Andalusian Arabic اَلْكُحُول (al-kuḥūl)bor. Latin alcoholder. Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin de-der. Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ Proto-Hellenic *údōr Ancient Greek ῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr) Ancient Greek ῠ̔δρο- (hŭdro-)der. German Aldehydbor. English aldehydeclip. English -al English furfural Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Latin -nus Latin -ānus Old French -ainder. Middle English -an English -an English furan From furfural + -an.
Across languages
Translations
14 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
furan
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Chinese Cantonese:
呋喃
(fu1 naam4)
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Chinese Mandarin:
呋喃
(fūnán)
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Finnish:
furaani
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
French:
furane
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
German:
Furan
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Greek:
φουράνιο
(fouránio)
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Hungarian:
furán
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Italian:
furano
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Japanese:
フラン
(furan)
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Korean:
퓨란
(pyuran)
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Polish:
furan
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Portuguese:
furano
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds
Spanish:
furano
— any of a class of aromatic heterocyclic compounds