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cetane

Syllabification: (ce·tane)
Pronunciation: /ˈsēˌtān/
Definition of cetane

noun

Chemistry
  • a colorless liquid hydrocarbon of the alkane series, used as a solvent.
    • Alternative name: n-hexadecane; chemical formula: C16H34

Origin:

late 19th century: from Latin cetus 'whale', from Greek kētos (because related compounds were first derived from spermaceti) + -ane2

cetane in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of cetane in the British & World English dictionary

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