cyclopropane

[ sahy-kluh-proh-peyn, sik-luh- ]

/ ˌsaɪ kləˈproʊ peɪn, ˌsɪk lə- /

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noun Chemistry, Pharmacology.

a colorless, flammable gas, C3H6, used in organic synthesis and in medicine as an anesthetic.

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Also called trimethylene.

Origin of cyclopropane

First recorded in 1890–95; cyclo- + propane

Words nearby cyclopropane

cyclopentadiene, cyclopentane, cyclophosphamide, cyclopia, cycloplegia, cyclopropane, Cyclops, cyclorama, cyclosilicate, cyclosis, cyclosporin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for cyclopropane

cyclopropane

/ (ˌsaɪkləʊˈprəʊpeɪn, ˌsɪk-) /

noun

a colourless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon, used in medicine as an anaesthetic; trimethylene. It is a cycloalkane with molecules containing rings of three carbon atoms. Formula: C 3 H 6; boiling pt: –34°C

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 cyclopropane

cyclopropane

[ sī′klə-prō′pān′, sĭk′lə- ]

A highly flammable, explosive, colorless gas that was once in wide use as an anesthetic but has been mostly replaced by less flammable gases. The three carbon atoms of cyclopropane form a triangular ring. Chemical formula: C3H6.