urethane en · NOUN
Etymology
From French uréthane, coined (1833) by Jean Baptiste Dumas. Etymonline proposes an apparent decomposition as urée + éther + -ane.
Meanings
- (uncountable) A white crystalline organic compound, ethyl-carbamate, NH₂COOC₂H₅, used in the synthesis of other organic compounds.
- (countable) Any compound consisting of this general structure.
-
(countable, informal, uncountable) Polyurethane.
He doesn’t remember polishing off the bottle of slivovitz that stands empty on the scratched urethane surface of the oak-veneer tabletop, next to the wing chair.
2007, Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, 4th Estate (2010), page 161:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| urethanes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
bethanechol · ethyl urethane · methylurethane · urethanase · urethanize · polyesterurethane · nonurethane
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (4)
da uretan (organic compound) · de Urethan (organic compound) · nn uretan (organic compound) · nb uretan (organic compound)