Meanings
plural acetylenes
- countablechemistryAny organic compound having one or more carbon–carbon triple bonds; an alkyne.
The acetylene gas lighting in the station offices and platforms at Kyle of Lochalsh recently has been replaced by electric lighting.
1951 April, “Notes and News: Improvements at Kyle of Lochalsh”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 281 - uncountablechemistryEthyne; the simplest alkyne, a hydrocarbon of formula HC≡CH. It is a colourless, odourless, extremely flammable, explosive gas, formerly used as an illuminating gas, but now used in welding and metallurgy.
- countableuncountableA lamp powered by acetylene, particularly a motor vehicle headlight.
Mrs. Winnie had kindly sent her limousine car for them, and it stood throbbing in front of the hotel-entrance, its acetylenes streaming far up the street.
1908, Upton Sinclair, The Metropolis, New York: Moffat, Yard & Company, page 69
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna colorless flammable gas used chiefly in welding and in organic synthesis
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchacétylène
- Englishacetylene
Borrowed from French acétylène, coined by French chemist Marcellin Berthelot, from acetyl + -ene.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian ацетилен
- ацетилен (acetilen)compound with a triple bond
Catalan acetilè
- acetilècompound with a triple bond
Chinese Mandarin 乙炔
- 乙炔 (yǐquē)compound with a triple bond
Czech acetylen, acetylén
- acetylencompound with a triple bond
- acetyléncompound with a triple bond
Dutch acetyleen
- acetyleencompound with a triple bond
Esperanto acetileno, etino
- acetilenocompound with a triple bond
- etinocompound with a triple bond
Finnish asetyleeni, etyyni
- asetyleenicompound with a triple bond
- etyyniethyne
- asetyleeniethyne
- asetyleenilamppua lamp powered by acetylene
French acétylène
- acétylènecompound with a triple bond
German Acetylen, Azetylen
- Acetylencompound with a triple bond
- Azetylencompound with a triple bond
Greek ασετυλίνη, ακετυλένιο
- ασετυλίνη (asetylíni)compound with a triple bond
- ακετυλένιο (aketylénio)compound with a triple bond
Hungarian acetilén
- acetiléncompound with a triple bond
Icelandic kolvetnisgas, logsuðugas
- kolvetnisgascompound with a triple bond
- logsuðugascompound with a triple bond
- asetýlencompound with a triple bond
Indonesian asetilena
- asetilenacompound with a triple bond
Irish aicéitiléin
- aicéitiléincompound with a triple bond
Italian acetilene
- acetilenecompound with a triple bond
Japanese アセチレン, エチン
- アセチレン (asechiren)compound with a triple bond
- エチン (echin)compound with a triple bond
Malay asetilena
- asetilenacompound with a triple bond
Norwegian Bokmål acetylen, etyn
- acetylencompound with a triple bond
- etynethyne
- acetylenethyne
- acetylenlampea lamp powered by acetylene
- karbidlampea lamp powered by acetylene
Polish acetylen, acetylen
- acetylencompound with a triple bond
- acetylenethyne
- lampa acetylenowaa lamp powered by acetylene
- lampa karbidowaa lamp powered by acetylene
- karbidówkaa lamp powered by acetylene
Portuguese acetileno
- acetilenocompound with a triple bond
Romanian acetilenă
- acetilenăcompound with a triple bond
Russian ацетиле́н
- ацетиле́н (acetilén)compound with a triple bond
Spanish acetileno
- acetilenocompound with a triple bond
Swedish acetylen
- acetylencompound with a triple bond
Tagalog asetileno
- asetilenocompound with a triple bond
Thai อะเซทิลีน
- อะเซทิลีน (asetthilin)ethyne
Turkish etin, asetilen
- etinethyne
- asetilenethyne
Ukrainian ацетиле́н
- ацетиле́н (acetylén)compound with a triple bond
Cite this entry
acetylene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acetylene
“acetylene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acetylene. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acetylene,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acetylene.
Source: acetylene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.