ethylene

[ eth-uh-leen ]

/ ˈɛθ əˌlin /

Chemistry

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.

Nearby words

ethylamine, ethylate, ethylbenzene, ethyldichloroarsine, ethylenation, ethylene, ethylene alcohol, ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride, ethylene glycol, ethylene group

Origin of ethylene

First recorded in 1850–55; ethyl + -ene

Related formseth·yl·e·nic

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

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

Examples from the Web for ethylene

“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
Left alone in a fuel air explosive weapon or other container, ethylene oxide tends to self polymerize.
U.S. Patent 4,293,314: Gelled Fuel-Air Explosive|Bertram O. Stull
Ethylene burns with a bright luminous flame, and forms a very explosive mixture with oxygen.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 8|Various
This converts the alcohol into a gas known as ethylene (C2H4).
Creative Chemistry|Edwin E. Slosson

The idea held up to about 1890 was that the illuminating value depended upon the amount of ethylene present.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4|Various
Propylene oxide is less toxic than ethylene oxide but is still highly toxic.
U.S. Patent 4,293,314: Gelled Fuel-Air Explosive|Bertram O. Stull

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 Formsethylenic (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

Word Origin and History for ethylene

ethylene

1852, from ethyl + -ene, probably suggested by methylene.

Medicine definitions for ethylene

ethylene

[ ĕth′ə-lēn′ ]

n.

An explosive gas derived from natural gas and petroleum infrequently used as an inhalation anesthetic.ethene

The bivalent hydrocarbon radical C2H4 that is isomeric to the ethylidene radical.

Science 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.