ethylene

noun/ˈɛθəliːn/

Frequency rank: #14,189 most common English word

Meaning

A colorless flammable gas produced naturally by plants that promotes fruit ripening, also widely used in the chemical industry.

Illustration for the English word “ethylene”

Example sentence

Fruits ripen faster when exposed to ethylene, a natural gas released by the plants themselves.

Synonyms & related words

  • ethene

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