hexamethylenetetramine

[ hek-suh-meth-uh-leen-te-truh-meen ]

noun

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, C 6 H 12 N 4 , used as a vulcanization accelerator, an absorbent in gas masks, in the manufacture of the explosive RDX and synthetic resins, and in medicine as a diuretic and urinary antiseptic.

hexamethylenetetramine

/ ˌhɛksəˌmɛθɪliːnˈtɛtrəˌmiːn /

noun

1. a colourless crystalline organic compound used as a urinary antiseptic. Formula: C 6 H 12 N 4 Also calledhexaminemethenamine

Word History and Origins

Origin of hexamethylenetetramine¹

First recorded in 1885–90; hexamethylene + tetr(a)- + -amine