methane series

2 definitions found

methane series - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Methane \Meth"ane\, n. [See Methal.] (Chem.)
     A light, colorless, gaseous, inflammable hydrocarbon, CH4;
     marsh gas. It is the simplest of the aliphatic hydrocarbons.
     See Marsh gas, under Gas.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Methane series (Chem.), a series of saturated hydrocarbons,
        of which methane is the first member and type, and
        (because of their general chemical inertness and
        indifference) called also the paraffin (little affinity)  series
        . The lightest members are gases, as methane,
        ethane; intermediate members are liquids, as hexane,
        heptane, etc. (found in benzine, kerosene, etc.); while
        the highest members are white, waxy, or fatty solids, as
        paraffin proper.
        [1913 Webster]

methane series - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  methane series
      n 1: a series of non-aromatic saturated hydrocarbons with the
           general formula CnH(2n+2) [syn: methane series, alkane series
           , alkane, paraffin series, paraffin]