Olefin

2 definitions found

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

  olefin \o"le*fin\, olefine \o"le*fine\([=o]"l[-e]*f[i^]n or
     [=o]"l[-e]*f[=e]n), n. [From {Olefiant}.]
     1. (Chem.) Olefiant gas, or ethylene. See {Ethylene}.
        [archaic]
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. Hence: (Chem.) Any one of the series of unsaturated
        hydrocarbons of which ethylene is the type; a member of
        the alkene series of hydrocarbons; an alkene.
        [1913 Webster + PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  olefin
       n : any unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon [syn: {alkene}, {olefine}]