To save this word, you'll need to log in.
ce·tane | \ ˈsē-ˌtān 
\
\Definition of cetane
: a colorless oily hydrocarbon C16H34 found in petroleum
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on cetane
What made you want to look up cetane? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
A More Exception(al) Quiz
- Which of the following words is not a synonym for ‘a young person’?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share cetane
Time Traveler for cetane
The first known use of cetane was in 1871
See more words from the same year