A hydrocarbon containing a triple bond between two carbon atoms, making it very reactive and useful in chemistry.
From alkane + -yne (suffix for triple bonds). The -yne comes from Old English -en and was adapted into chemical nomenclature in the 19th century to parallel -ene for double bonds.
Alkynes are the daredevils of the hydrocarbon world—that triple bond is so unstable and reactive that chemists love using them to build complex molecules in the lab, and they're crucial in industrial processes like welding.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.