ethylene

[ eth-uh-leen ]

/ ˈɛθ əˌlin /

Chemistry

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adjective

noun

Also called ethene, olefiant gas. a colorless, flammable gas, C2H4, having a sweet, unpleasant odor and taste, the first member of the ethylene series, usually obtained from petroleum and natural gas: used as an agent to improve the color of citrus fruits, in the synthesis of polyethylene, ethylene dibromide, ethylene oxide, and other organic compounds, and in medicine chiefly as an inhalation anesthetic.

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Origin of ethylene

First recorded in 1850–55; ethyl + -ene

OTHER WORDS FROM ethylene

eth·yl·e·nic

[eth-uh-lee-nik, -len-ik], /ˌɛθ əˈli nɪk, -ˈlɛn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby ethylene

ethyl cellulose, ethyl chloride, ethyldichloroarsine, ethyl enanthate, ethylenation, ethylene, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride, ethylene glycol, ethylene group

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

How to use ethylene in a sentence

Peltier said that continued exposure to ethylene oxide “is only going to amplify the risk” of a breast cancer recurrence.
The Dirty Secret of America’s Clean Dishes|by Max Blau and Lylla Younes, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica|December 20, 2021|ProPublica
Inside, BASF workers mix the ethylene oxide with an alcohol and a catalyst, “cook” the batch for hours at a high temperature and cool it off.
The Dirty Secret of America’s Clean Dishes|by Max Blau and Lylla Younes, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica|December 20, 2021|ProPublica
The EPA mentioned ethylene oxide, but it seemed like an afterthought, Heck said.
When Home Is a Toxic Hot Spot|by Maya Miller, Alyssa Johnson, Lisa Song and Max Blau, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica|December 15, 2021|ProPublica
The state agency carried out its own assessment on ethylene oxide, a chemical that contributes to the estimated cancer risk in this hot spot, and has concluded that it is less risky than the EPA says it is.
When Home Is a Toxic Hot Spot|by Maya Miller, Alyssa Johnson, Lisa Song and Max Blau, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica|December 15, 2021|ProPublica

These rooms are then pumped with ethylene gas — the same gas emitted from fruit as they begin to ripen — to begin a uniformed ripening process.
How Top Banana Moves Over One Million Pounds of Bananas per Week|Eater Video|July 14, 2021|Eater
The prototypes are built from a recyclable flat foam-rubber called ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
Origami Shoe Design to Revolutionize Footwear|Nina Strochlic|September 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“There are similarities between propylene glycol and ethylene glycol, the anti-freeze used in automobiles,” Dale said.
My (Electronic) Cigarette Addiction|Eli Lake|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Such a solution is an absorbent of carbon monoxide; it also absorbs ethylene and acetylene.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth
The latter, known as ethylene-selenourea, may be classified also in the azole group as 2-iminotetrahydroselenazole (V).
Synthesis of 2-methyl-4-selenoquinazolone, 2-phenylbenzoselenazole, and its derivatives|Y-Gwan Chen
A similar relation holds good between marsh gas and olefiant gas (ethylene).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3|Various
This process consisted in blowing gaseous ethylene into liquid sulphur monochloride in large iron reaction vessels.
America's Munitions 1917-1918|Benedict Crowell
Ethylene burns with a bright luminous flame, and forms a very explosive mixture with oxygen.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 8|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ethylene

ethylene

/ (ˈɛθɪˌliːn) /

noun

a colourless flammable gaseous alkene with a sweet odour, obtained from petroleum and natural gas and used in the manufacture of polythene and many other chemicals. Formula: CH 2 :CH 2Also called: ethene

Derived forms of ethylene

ethylenic (ˌɛθɪˈliːnɪk), 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 ethylene

ethylene

[ ĕth′ə-lēn′ ]

A colorless, flammable gas that occurs naturally in certain plants and can be obtained from petroleum and natural gas. As a plant hormone, it ripens and colors fruit, and it is manufactured for use in agriculture to speed these processes. It is also used as a fuel and in making plastics. Ethylene is the simplest alkene, consisting of two carbon atoms joined by a double bond and each attached to two hydrogen atoms. Also called ethene. Chemical formula: C2H4.