noun
- A hydrocarbon containing one or more carbon-carbon double bonds; an alkene.
Usage: chemistry; also spelled 'olefin' (more common in modern usage)
Examples
- Ethylene is the simplest olefine, containing one double bond between two carbon atoms.
- Olefines are important raw materials in the petrochemical industry.
- The reaction of olefines with bromine produces a characteristic color change.
- Propylene is an olefine used in the manufacture of plastics and other chemicals.