ETHYLENE
ethylene, ethene
(noun) a flammable colorless gaseous alkene; obtained from petroleum and natural gas and used in manufacturing many other chemicals; sometimes used as an anesthetic
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
ethylene (countable and uncountable, plural ethylenes)
(organic compound) The common name for the organic chemical compound ethene. The simplest alkene, a colorless gaseous (at room temperature and pressure) hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C2H4.
(organic chemistry) The divalent radical derived from ethane.
Synonyms
• IUPAC name: ethene
Source: Wiktionary
Eth"yl*ene, n. [From Ethyl.] (Chem.)
Definition: A colorless, gaseous hydrocarbon, C2H4, forming an important
ingredient of illuminating gas, and also obtained by the action of
concentrated sulphuric acid in alcohol. It is an unsaturated compound
and combines directly with chlorine and bromine to form oily liquids
(Dutch liquid), -- hence called olefiant gas. Called also ethene,
elayl, and formerly, bicarbureted hydrogen. Ethylene series (Chem.),
the series if unsaturated hydrocarbons of which ethylene is the type,
and represented by the general formula CnH2n.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition