ethylene

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noun eth·yl·ene \ ˈe-thə-ˌlēn \

Definition of ethylene

1 :a colorless flammable gaseous unsaturated hydrocarbon C₂H₄ that is found in coal gas, can be produced by pyrolysis of petroleum hydrocarbons, and occurs in plants functioning especially as a natural growth regulator that promotes the ripening of fruit

2 :a divalent hydrocarbon group C₂H₄ derived from ethane

—

ethylenic

play \ˌe-thə-ˈlē-nik, -ˈle-nik\ adjective

See ethylene defined for kids

Recent Examples of ethylene from the Web

In preparation for Harvey, the Equistar plant in Corpus Christi released 5,000 pounds of both carbon monoxide and ethylene.

— emily atkin, New Republic, "Harvey’s Hidden Side Effect," 30 Aug. 2017
Goods made with plastics based on petrochemicals such as ethylene and propolene could face sporadic supply chain disruptions and retail price increases in the coming weeks, PetroChem Wire executive editor Kathy Hall said.

— joe taschler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Holiday weekend road trips are going to cost more due to hurricane," 29 Aug. 2017
Martin said Shelby Vatter was killed with ethylene glycol, which is found in antifreeze.

— USA TODAY, "Virginia man convicted in wife’s antifreeze death," 10 Aug. 2017
This traps natural ethylene gas and helps ripen it.

— Cincinnati.com, "Halal chicken brings NY street food flavor to kitchen," 2 Aug. 2017
So by putting fruit in a 68 °F room and using ethylene gas to spark the fruit's own production of this natural ripening hormone, avocados could be brought to market ripe and ready.

— brian handwerk, Smithsonian, "Holy Guacamole: How the Hass Avocado Conquered the World," 29 July 2017
Although some gases, such as acetylene and ethylene, have been spotted on Titan, Malaska said the conditions aren't right for that process to form the labyrinths.

— nola taylor redd space.com contributor, Fox News, "Mysterious mazes streak Saturn's moon Titan," 13 June 2017
A whole sterilization cycle can take seven minutes versus up to 24 hours under an older method using ethylene oxide, for example.

— wendy fawthrop, Orange County Register, "Ingenuity proves in demand at Cal State Fullerton engineering showcase," 23 May 2017
The plant would make ethylene and other plastics from shale gas.

— cleveland.com, "LeBron James and the revenge of flyover country," 17 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ethylene.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ethylene

1849

Medical Dictionary

ethylene

play

noun eth·yl·ene \ ˈeth-ə-ˌlēn \

medical Definition of ethylene

1 :a colorless flammable gaseous unsaturated hydrocarbon C₂H₄ that is found in coal gas, can be produced by pyrolysis of petroleum hydrocarbons, is used in medicine as a general inhalation anesthetic, and occurs in plants functioning especially as a natural growth regulator that promotes the ripening of fruit — called also ethene

2 :a divalent hydrocarbon group C₂H₄ derived from ethane

—

ethylenic

play \ˌeth-ə-ˈlē-nik, -ˈlen-ik\ adjective

—

ethylenically

play \-ˈlē-ni-k(ə-)lē, -ˈlen-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Learn More about ethylene

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ethylene

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ethylene

Definition of ethylene

ethylenic

Recent Examples of ethylene from the Web

First Known Use of ethylene

Medical Dictionary

ethylene

medical Definition of ethylene

ethylenic

ethylenically

Learn More about ethylene

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ethylene

Definition of ethylene

ethylenic

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Recent Examples of ethylene from the Web

First Known Use of ethylene

Medical Dictionary

ethylene

medical Definition of ethylene

ethylenic

ethylenically

Learn More about ethylene

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