Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Either of two isomers of a gaseous hydrocarbon, C4H10, produced synthetically from petroleum and used as a household fuel, refrigerant, and aerosol propellant and in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In chem., the fourth member of the paraffin series of hydrocarbons, C4H10.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) An inflammable gaseous saturated hydrocarbon, C4H10, of the marsh gas, or paraffin, series.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun organic chemistry A hydrocarbon (either of the two isomers of C4H10 n-butane, and 2-methyl-propane) found in gaseous petroleum fractions.
  • noun organic chemistry, uncountable The n-butane isomer only.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun occurs in natural gas; used in the manufacture of rubber and fuels

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[but(yl) + –ane.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Derived from the same stem as the foul-smelling carboxylic acid liberated in rancid butter, butyric acid + -ane.

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Examples

  • They are very close to eachother with regard to the total amount of energy output from combustion, but because butane is heavier than propane, it boils at a higher (much higher) temperature, and that is the main drawback.

    Should I Buy a New Kitchen Stove?? 2005

  • They burn the same but butane is cheaper to manufacture.

    Should I Buy a New Kitchen Stove?? 2005

  • "Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210 ..."

    What Do I Know? 2009

  • Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210, the that was used to murder former Russian spy Alexander V. Litvinenko in 2006.

    Junkfood Science 2009

  • Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210, the highly radioactive carcinogen that was used to murder former Russian spy Alexander V. Litvinenko in 2006.

    Organic Consumers Association News Headlines 2009

  • Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead;

    Original Signal - Transmitting Buzz 2009

  • "Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210 ..."

    What Do I Know? 2009

  • Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead;

    Clipmarks | Live Clips 2009

  • "Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210 ..."

    What Do I Know? 2009

  • Anipac President, Juan Manuel Alvarez Icaza, said that investment in processing plants would enable oil and gas to be transformed into primary inputs for the plastics industry such as butane, ethylene and propane.

    Lloyd Mexico Economic Report - January 2000 2006

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