Plural of butane; flammable hydrocarbon gases with four carbon atoms, used as fuels and in lighters.
From 'butyl' (four carbons) with the chemical suffix '-ane' indicating saturated hydrocarbons. Named systematically in early 20th century chemical nomenclature.
Butane is what makes your lighter work and what fuels camping stoves, but it's also a perfect example of how chemistry naming follows logic—'meth-' (1 carbon), 'eth-' (2), 'prop-' (3), 'but-' (4).
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