cyclopropane

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

/ ˌsaɪ kləˈproʊ peɪn, ˌsɪk lə- /

noun Chemistry, Pharmacology.

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

Nearby words

cyclophosphamide, cyclophotocoagulation, cyclopia, cycloplegia, cycloplegic, cyclopropane, cyclops, cyclorama, cyclosilicate, cyclosis, cyclosporin

Origin of cyclopropane

First recorded in 1890–95; cyclo- + propane

Also called trimethylene.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

Science 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.