noun
butane
BYOO-tayn/ˈbjuːteɪn/
A flammable hydrocarbon gas used as fuel.
The connected canister supplies butane to the camping stove.
Etymology
The butter connection comes through butyric acid, a fermentation product found in rancid butter, whose name supplied the butyl base. The suffix -ane identifies the gas as a hydrocarbon with no carbon–carbon double bonds.
In context
get the butane coming out I'll strike the striker cap there to get it lit you can see a blue flame
More examples
- A sealed canister supplies butane to the stove.
- The label identifies the fuel as butane.
- The technician checked the butane container for damage.
Forms
butane
Similar words
- propane
- Propane is a different fuel gas with a lower boiling point than butane.
- methane
- Methane is the main gas in natural gas; butane has a different molecular structure and common uses.