Acetylene

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Acetylene \A*cet"y*lene\, n. (Chem.)
     A gaseous compound of carbon and hydrogen, in the proportion
     of two atoms of the former to two of the latter. It is a
     colorless gas, with a peculiar, unpleasant odor, and is
     produced for use as an illuminating gas in a number of ways,
     but chiefly by the action of water on calcium carbide. Its


     light is very brilliant. --Watts.
     [1913 Webster] Ach

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  acetylene
       n : a colorless flammable gas used chiefly in welding and in
           organic synthesis [syn: {ethyne}, {alkyne}]