acrylonitrile

American

[ak-ruh-loh-nahy-tril, -treel, -trahyl] / ˌæk rə loʊˈnaɪ trɪl, -tril, -traɪl /

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless, flammable, poisonous, carcinogenic liquid, C 3 H 3 N, used for the production of polymers and copolymers, as rubbers, fibers, and clear plastics for beverage containers.

acrylonitrile British

/ ˌækrɪləʊˈnaɪtraɪl /

noun

Also called: vinylcyanide. a colourless liquid that is miscible with water and has toxic fumes: used in the manufacture of acrylic fibres and resins, rubber, and thermoplastics. Formula: CH 2 :CHCN

"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

acrylonitrile Scientific

/ ăk′rə-lō-nī′trəl,-trēl,-trīl /

A colorless, poisonous, liquid organic compound having a wide variety of industrial uses, such as in the manufacture of acrylic fibers, resins, and acrylamide. Chemical formula: C ₃ H ₃ N.

Etymology

Origin of acrylonitrile

First recorded in 1890–95; acryl(ic) + -o- + nitrile

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

acrylonitrile

At launch, each motor had about 1.1 million pounds of polybutadiene acrylonitrile copolymer propellant, which has the consistency of a pencil eraser.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2023

Those boosters — the twin white cylinders on either side of the rocket — are 17 stories high and are packed with a solid rocket fuel called polybutadiene acrylonitrile.

From The Verge ● Aug. 25, 2022

Of those, six were challenged in court and only one survived unscathed: a standard issued in 1978 aimed at exposure to acrylonitrile, a chemical used in rubber manufacturing.

From Reuters ● Nov. 4, 2021

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued an emergency temporary standard for acrylonitrile in 1978, and a court challenge was unsuccessful.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 24, 2021

Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell said there were also concerns that the fumes contained cyanide, a byproduct of burning the chemical acrylonitrile, which was leaking from the train car.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 3, 2015

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023