octane
any of 18 isomeric saturated hydrocarbons having the formula C8H18, some of which are obtained in the distillation and cracking of petroleum.
Origin of octane
1Words Nearby octane
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use octane in a sentence
Simply increasing the octane rating of aviation fuel from 87 to 100 gave the Allies a crucial edge.
Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price | Carolyn Wilke | January 28, 2022 | Science NewsLouise Carey’s debut “Inscape” is a high octane, cyberpunk-flavored adventure.
Best science fiction, fantasy and horror of 2021 | Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Lavie Tidhar | November 18, 2021 | Washington PostCumming, 56, who is bisexual and married to the illustrator Grant Shaffer, is Whitman on octane.
Paterson—the father of recent Governor David Paterson—was a high-octane lawyer who held a number of appointive positions.
This episode illuminates the omnipresent peril the current president faces in having such a high-profile, high-octane frenemy.
Bill Clinton: Two-Edged Sword for President Obama | Michelle Cottle | June 2, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The tight battle reflects the high-octane energy among GOP voters.
Most of those who died were in trailers next to the isomerization unit, which boosts octane in gasoline, when it blew up.
For his role in the frustration of Obamacare, this Lieberman became the object of high-octane contempt.
A sigh of relief spilled from his lips when he saw that he still had enough high octane for thirty-five minutes of flying.
Dave Dawson with the Commandos | R. Sidney BowenLastly, it was doomed by the advent of high octane gasolines, first used while it was still in the development stage.
The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928 | Robert B. MeyerLess than 10 years later octane ratings had increased to over 100, putting the diesel at a further disadvantage.
The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928 | Robert B. MeyerSuffice it to say that it is a high octane preparation, only a drop of whichbut you know the effects of Moon Glow, of course.
B-12's Moon Glow | Charles A. Stearns
British Dictionary definitions for octane
/ (ˈɒkteɪn) /
a liquid alkane hydrocarbon found in petroleum and existing in 18 isomeric forms, esp the isomer n -octane. Formula: C 8 H 18: See also isooctane
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for octane
[ ŏk′tān′ ]
Any of several hydrocarbons having eight carbon atoms connected by single bonds. It is commonly added to gasoline to prevent knocking from uneven burning of fuel in internal-combustion engines. Octane is the eighth member of the alkane series. Chemical formula: C8H18.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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