The Collaborative International Dictionary
Cyanine \Cy"a*nine\ (s?"?-n?n or -n?n; 104), n. (Chem.) One of a series of artificial blue or red dyes obtained from quinoline and lepidine and used in calico printing.
Wiktionary
n. Any of a family of synthetic blue dyes used in photography etc.
WordNet
Wikipedia
Cyanine is the non-systematic name of a synthetic dye family belonging to polymethine group. The word cyanin is from the English word “cyan", which conventionally means a shade of blue-green (close to "aqua") and is derived from the Greek “kyanos" which means a somewhat different color: "dark blue".
Cyanines were and are still used in industry, and more recently in biotechnology (labeling, analysis). Cyanines have many uses as fluorescent dyes, particularly in biomedical imaging. Depending on the structure, they cover the spectrum from IR to UV. There are a large number reported in the literature.
Usage examples of "cyanine".
To this group of dye-stuffs belong such dyes as Alizarine, Alizarine Cyanine, Anthragallol, Gambine, Coerulein, and some others.
Alizarine Orange, Alizarine Blue, Anthracene Brown, Alizarine Cyanine, Galloflavine, Gambine, Chrome Violet, etc.
Sulphon cyanine works well with other dye-stuffs, and gives shades which are fast to milling.
Alizarine Cyanines are excellent dye-stuffs for giving dark blue and navy blue shades on wool.
Alizarine Cyanines is a considerable advantage, by causing the dye-stuff to penetrate the fibre better and to give more uniform shades.
To this group of dye-stuffs belong such dyes as Alizarine, Alizarine Cyanine, Anthragallol, Gambine, Coerulein, and some others.
Alizarine Orange, Alizarine Blue, Anthracene Brown, Alizarine Cyanine, Galloflavine, Gambine, Chrome Violet, etc.