acetylene
a colorless gas, C2H2, having an etherlike odor, produced usually by the action of water on calcium carbide or by pyrolysis of natural gas: used especially in metal cutting and welding, as an illuminant, and in organic synthesis.
Origin of acetylene
1Other words from acetylene
- a·cet·y·len·ic [uh-set-l-en-ik], /əˌsɛt lˈɛn ɪk/, adjective
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British Dictionary definitions for acetylene
/ (əˈsɛtɪˌliːn) /
a colourless flammable gas used in the manufacture of organic chemicals and in cutting and welding metals. Formula: C 2 H 2: Systematic name: ethyne
another name for alkyne
(as modifier): acetylene series
Derived forms of acetylene
- acetylenic (əˌsɛtɪˈlɛnɪk), adjective
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 acetylene
[ ə-sĕt′l-ēn′, -ən ]
A colorless, highly flammable or explosive gas with a characteristic sweet odor. It is used in welding torches and in the manufacture of organic chemicals such as vinyl chloride. Acetylene is the simplest alkyne, consisting of two carbon atoms joined by a triple bond and each attached to a single hydrogen atom. Also called ethyne. Chemical formula: C2H2.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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