ethylene oxide

noun

: a colorless flammable toxic compound C2H4O used especially in synthesis (as of ethylene glycol) and in sterilization and fumigation

Examples of ethylene oxide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The state is the nation’s top ethylene oxide polluter and home to 26 facilities that emit ethylene oxide, according to ProPublica’s 2021 analysis of EPA data from 2014 through 2018. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2025 Aaron Szabo recently represented the Advanced Medical Technology Association, an industry trade group that includes commercial sterilizers that use ethylene oxide. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2025 While making an animal feed additive, the plant releases ethylene oxide, a colorless gas linked to leukemia and breast cancer. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2025 Meanwhile, several people have sued the sterilizing company, claiming their health has been affected by the ethylene oxide emissions. — Andy Miller, USA TODAY, 29 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for ethylene oxide

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethylene oxide was in 1866

Rhymes for ethylene oxide

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Browse Nearby Words

ethylene linkage
ethylene oxide
ethylenic isomerism
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Cite this Entry

“Ethylene oxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethylene%20oxide. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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Medical Definition

ethylene oxide

noun
: a colorless flammable toxic gaseous or liquid compound C2H4O used especially in synthesis (as of ethylene glycol) and in fumigation and sterilization (as of medical instruments)

More from Merriam-Webster on ethylene oxide

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ethylene oxide

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