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

In early June, Taiwanese manufacturer Formosa Petrochemical reported cutting the utilisation rate of its ethylene steam cracker to 35 percent, down from 53 percent in March at the very start of the war.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

A lot of the country’s imported oil doesn’t end up filling car gasoline tanks but goes into making feedstocks such as ethylene that are used for everyday plastic, packaging and industrial goods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Two toxic air contaminants present in California’s ambient air, acrolein and ethylene oxide, appear to be much stronger carcinogens than previously known, California environmental health officials announced Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026

Thus, suppose that chlorine is added to ethylene.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 633, February 18, 1888 by Various

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