Azines

Azines is a term that appears in more than one domain, and its meaning depends on the context. In chemistry, azine is a suffix used in the systematic naming of certain nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. The plural form “azines” thus can refer to multiple compounds whose names include the -azine suffix. This usage appears primarily in chemical literature and older texts, where naming conventions grouped certain nitrogen-containing ring systems under this suffix. Modern nomenclature often treats these compounds by more specific classes, such as diazines or triazines, rather than relying on the general suffix alone.

In publishing and popular culture, “azines” is commonly encountered as a mistaken or variant spelling of “zines,” short for fanzines or magazines produced outside mainstream media. The standard plural in this sense is “zines,” though occasional spellings like “azines” occur in informal writing. Zines typically cover niche topics, including science fiction, music, art, politics, or personal diaries. With the advent of the internet, many zines have online editions, sometimes called e-zines, which broaden accessibility and distribution.

Overall, azines lack a single universal meaning and are best understood through context. When referring to chemistry, they point to nitrogen-containing heterocycles and related naming conventions. When encountered in writing about magazines, they usually indicate a misspelling or variant of “zines.”