acetylene

Borrowed from French acétylène, coined by French chemist Marcellin Berthelot, from acetyl.

• IPA^(key): /əˈsɛtəlˌin/

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acetylene (countable and uncountable, plural acetylenes)

1. (organic chemistry, countable) Any organic compound having one or more carbon–carbon triple bonds; an alkyne.
   • 1951 April, “Notes and News: Improvements at Kyle of Lochalsh”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 281:

     The acetylene gas lighting in the station offices and platforms at Kyle of Lochalsh recently has been replaced by electric lighting.

2. (organic chemistry, uncountable) Ethyne; the simplest alkyne, a hydrocarbon of formula HC≡CH. It is a colourless, odourless, extremely flammable, explosive gas, formerly used as an illuminating gas, but now used in welding and metallurgy.
3. A lamp powered by acetylene, particularly a motor vehicle headlight.
   • 1908, Upton Sinclair, The Metropolis, New York: Moffat, Yard & Company, page 69:

     Mrs. Winnie had kindly sent her limousine car for them, and it stood throbbing in front of the hotel-entrance, its acetylenes streaming far up the street.

• (IUPAC name): ethyne

Chemical Structure of acetylene

• acetylide

• acetyla

• IPA^(key): /asɛˈtyːlənə/

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• Rhymes: -ənə
• Hyphenation: a‧ce‧ty‧le‧ne

acetylene n

1. definite plural of acetyl