ethylene

American  

[eth-uh-leen] / ˈɛθ əˌlin /

adjective

1. containing the ethylene group.

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noun

1. Also called ethene, olefiant gas. a colorless, flammable gas, C 2 H 4 , 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.

ethylene British  

/ ˈɛθɪˌliːn /

noun

1. Also called: ethene. 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 2

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ethylene Scientific  

/ ĕth′ə-lēn′ /

1. 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: C ₂ H ₄ .

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Other Word Forms

• ethylenic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of ethylene

First recorded in 1850–55; ethyl + -ene

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ethylene

Another yeast strain can use ethylene glycol derived from PET to produce beta carotene, which the human body can convert into vitamin A.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

The country sells gasoline, diesel and jet fuel and is a top exporter of petrochemical feedstocks, such as ethylene, that are used for manufacturing plastics, packaging materials and other everyday goods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

A key raw material for many of these plastic goods is ethylene, which is derived from naphtha, an oil by-product.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

Companies that use or manufacture ethylene oxide and their representatives complained to the EPA and questioned the science that cost them so dearly.

From Salon ● May 5, 2026

The composition of coke-oven gases, after the extraction of the ammonia and tar, is about 53% hydrogen, 36% methane, 6% carbon monoxide, 2% ethylene and benzene, 0.5% sulphuretted hydrogen, 1.5% carbon dioxide, 1% nitrogen.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various

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