ethylene
[ eth-uh-leen ]
/ ˈɛθ əˌlin /
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adjective
containing the ethylene group.
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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OTHER WORDS FROM ethylene
eth·yl·e·nic [eth-uh-lee-nik, -len-ik], /ˌɛθ əˈli nɪk, -ˈlɛn ɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby ethylene
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Example sentences from the Web for ethylene
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), adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Medical 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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.