ethylene

Plural: ethylenes

Noun

• a flammable colorless gaseous alkene; obtained from petroleum and natural gas and used in manufacturing many other chemicals; sometimes used as an anesthetic
• 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.
• The divalent radical derived from ethane.

Synonyms

ethene, olefiant gas