Pentane
/ˈpɛn.teɪn/noun
A colorless flammable hydrocarbon in the alkane series with five carbon atoms.
Did you know?Pentane’s name comes from Greek pente, “five,” combined with the alkane suffix -ane, a modern chemical naming ending that marks a saturated hydrocarbon.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pénte (πέντε)
“five”
Late Latin
Latin
quīnque
“five”
19th Century
English
pent-
“a combining form meaning five, used in scientific compounds”
19th Century
English
-ane
“chemical suffix for saturated hydrocarbons”
Modern English
English
pentane
“a five-carbon alkane”
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