butane
/ˈbjuːteɪn/ noun
Forms butanes
- noun (organic chemistry) A hydrocarbon (either of the two isomers of C₄H₁₀, n-butane and 2-methylpropane) found in gaseous petroleum fractions.
- noun (organic chemistry, uncountable) The n-butane isomer only.
Synonyms
Etymology
IUPAC nomenclature, from but- (“four carbon prefix”) + -ane (“alkane suffix”), the former is derived from the same stem as the foul-smelling carboxylic acid liberated in rancid butter, "butyric acid", hence cognate with butter.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An inflammable gaseous hydrocarbon, C4H10, of the marsh gas, or paraffin, series.
Etymology [L. butyrum butter. See Butter.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “butane”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details