tetrafluoroethylene

American

[te-truh-floor-oh-eth-uh-leen, -flawr-, -flohr-] / ˌtɛ trəˌflʊər oʊˈɛθ əˌlin, -ˌflɔr-, -ˌfloʊr- /

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless, water-insoluble, flammable gas, C 2 F 4 , used in the synthesis of certain polymeric resins, as Teflon.

Etymology

Origin of tetrafluoroethylene

First recorded in 1930–35; tetra- + fluoro- + ethylene

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The stadium’s roof is clad in ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, or ETFE, a tough, translucent plastic that shades fans.

From Los Angeles Times

Like the aquatics center in Beijing built for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the southern half of the stadium's roof will be built with a material known as ETFE, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene.

From Seattle Times

The new roof is comprised of 31 air-filled cushions, made from the polymer ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, which give a "bubble-wrap" effect.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023