a colourless or slightly yellow crystalline water-insoluble unsaturated hydrocarbon used in the manufacture of dyes; trans-1,2-diphenylethene. Formula: C6H5CH:CHC6H5
Word origin
C19: from Greek stilbos glittering + -ene
stilbene in American English
(ˈstɪlˌbin)
noun
a crystalline hydrocarbon, C6H5CH:CHC6H5, used in the manufacture of dyes and as a crystal scintillation detector