: any of several isomeric bivalent radicals C8H8 derived from the three xylenes by removal of one hydrogen atom from each of two carbon atoms
especially: any of the three radicals having the formula −CH2C6H4CH2−; phenylene-di-methylene
2
: a reactive hydrocarbon CH2=C6H4=CH2 that is formed by pyrolysis of para -xylene under low pressure followed by quick chilling in a solvent at −80° C and that polymerizes to an insoluble white mass at room temperature
called alsopara-xylylene, p-xylylene
Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary xylyl + -ene
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