Ethine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A colorless hydrocarbon gas composed of two carbon atoms bonded by a triple bond, commonly used as a fuel and in welding torches
2. An organic compound consisting of two carbon atoms with a triple bond between them, valued for its high heat output in industrial applications
3. A gaseous alkyne with the molecular formula C₂H₂, produced industrially and employed in cutting, welding, and synthesis of other chemicals

Etymology: "Ethine" is an older chemical name for acetylene, the simplest alkyne, a hydrocarbon of two carbon atoms joined by a triple bond. The name is built from "ethyl," itself a coinage from Greek "aithēr" (ether) and "hylē" (matter), with the suffix "-ine" marking the triple bond. Chemists used this ending for alkynes before the current standard, "-yne," replaced it. The name shows how chemical nomenclature grew by analogy. Chemists named the two-carbon hydrocarbon by placing it beside "ethylene," the double-bonded relative, and changing the ending to signal the stronger bond. The compound itself had earlier been called "acetylene," from "acetyl," a name derived from Latin "acetum" (vinegar), so the family of names reaches back to a kitchen staple. Modern textbooks use "ethyne" for the same molecule.

Synonyms: acetylene