isoprene

[ahy-suh-preen]

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, volatile, water-insoluble liquid, C5H8, of the terpene class, usually obtained from rubber or from oil of turpentine by pyrolysis: used chiefly in the manufacture of synthetic rubber by polymerization.

Origin of isoprene

1855–60; iso- + -pr- (< ?) + -ene; see terpene

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

Examples from the Web for isoprene

Historical Examples of isoprene

Isoprene could be obtained from turpentine, but this was too expensive and limited in supply.
Creative Chemistry
Edwin E. Slosson
The difficulty lay rather in the cost of the raw material, isoprene.
Creative Chemistry
Edwin E. Slosson
Isoprene, from which Dr. Tilden produced India rubber, is comparatively a new product, as derived from oil of turpentine.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898
Various
This is the first instance on record of the spontaneous change of isoprene into India rubber.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898
Various
Isoprene is a very volatile liquid, boiling at a temperature of about 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898
Various

British Dictionary definitions for isoprene

isoprene

noun

a colourless volatile liquid with a penetrating odour: used in making synthetic rubbers. Formula: CH 2 :CHC(CH 3):CH 2Systematic name: methylbuta-1,3-diene

Word Origin for isoprene

C20: from iso- + pr (opyl) + -ene

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

isoprene in Medicine

isoprene

[ī′sə-prēn′]

n.

A colorless volatile hydrocarbon that is the naturally occurring basis of isoprenoids and that is used in the production of synthetic rubber.

isoprene in Science

isoprene

[ī′sə-prēn′]

A colorless, volatile liquid obtained from petroleum or coal tar and occurring naturally in many plants. It is used chiefly to make synthetic rubber. The isoprene in plants occurs in the chloroplasts and is used to build terpenes and other biologically important chemicals. Chemical formula: C5H8.