crown ether

noun

any of a class of macrocyclic compounds containing repeat units of -CH₂CH₂O-

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Meanings

nouncrown ether (plural crown ethers)

plural crown ethers

  1. chemistryany of a class of macrocyclic compounds containing repeat units of -CH₂CH₂O-
  2. chemistryany similar compound containing atoms of nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus or silicon instead of, or as well as, oxygen

Origin

So called because its structure is shaped like a crown (the royal headgear).

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Cite this entry
APA

crown ether. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crown%20ether

MLA

“crown ether.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crown%20ether. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crown ether,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crown%20ether.

Source: crown ether on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.