a flammable colorless gaseous alkene; obtained from petroleum and natural gas and used in manufacturing many other chemicals; sometimes used as an anesthetic
"The chemical plant manager warned the workers to be careful around ethylene, noting that its flammability made it dangerous near open flames."
The common name for the organic chemical compound ethene. The simplest alkene, a colorless gaseous (at room temperature and pressure) hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C₂H₄.
"The farmer noticed that the unripe bananas in the storage bin were turning yellow too quickly because of leaking ethylene gas from the nearby fruit stand."