: a straight-chain butylene

Examples of butene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Butane is most commonly used in cigarette lighters, but it can also be transformed into butene, which is used to create synthetic rubber. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 20 Feb. 2017

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary butyl + -ene

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of butene was in 1885

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Cite this Entry

“Butene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butene. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Medical Definition

: either of two butylenes having a straight-chain structure

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