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butane

noun

  1. An alkane with four carbon atoms
L317556 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈbjuːteɪn/

noun

Etymology: PIE word *gʷṓws IUPAC nomenclature, from but- (“four carbon prefix”) + -ane (“alkane suffix”), the former is derived from the same stem as the foul-smelling carboxylic acid liberated in rancid butter, "butyric acid", hence cognate with butter.

  1. A hydrocarbon (either of the two isomers of C₄H₁₀, n-butane and 2-methylpropane) found in gaseous petroleum fractions.
  2. The n-butane isomer only.