Tri*meth"yl*ene (?), n. Chem.
A gaseous hydrocarbon, C3H6, isomeric with propylene and obtained from it indirectly. It is the base of a series of compounds analogous to the aromatic hydrocarbons.
<-- usu. called cyclopropane, because the three carbons form a ring:
CH2
/ \
H2C---CH2
-->
© Webster 1913.