Triene

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An organic molecule containing three carbon-carbon double bonds within its structure
2. A hydrocarbon or other organic compound characterized by the presence of three conjugated or separated double bonds
3. An unsaturated organic compound featuring three double bonds between carbon atoms

Etymology: "Triene" is a chemistry term for a molecule containing three double bonds between carbon atoms. It is built simply from the prefix "tri-", meaning three, and the suffix "-ene", the standard chemical ending for an unsaturated hydrocarbon with carbon-carbon double bonds. The "-ene" ending itself comes from "ethylene", the name of the simplest alkene, which was in turn formed from "ethyl" and "-ene". The pattern is systematic. Chemists name these compounds by counting their double bonds: a molecule with one double bond is an "ene", two is a "diene", and three is a "triene". The same logic produces words like "polyene" for molecules with many double bonds. Because the parts carry their meanings directly, the word needs little explanation beyond its components.

Synonyms: diene, polyene