# acetylene

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈsɛtəlˌin/ · frequency rank #56,565

## Definitions
1. Any organic compound having one or more carbon–carbon triple bonds; an alkyne.
2. Ethyne; 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.
3. A lamp powered by acetylene, particularly a motor vehicle headlight.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French acétylène, coined by French chemist Marcellin Berthelot, from acetyl + -ene.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/acetylene