Definition of octane in US English:

noun

• A colorless flammable hydrocarbon of the alkane series, obtained in petroleum refining.

  Chemical formula: C₈H₁₈; many isomers, especially the straight-chain isomer (n-octane). See also isooctane

  Example sentences

  • ‘Carbon in its most reduced form is found in alkanes, which are typically fuels like methane, propane, and octane.’
  • ‘Instead, new engines have been designed to run on lower octane gasoline, which is made of hydrocarbons that are resistant to knock.’
  • ‘My job was to change the plastic numbers displaying the price of 87 - octane standard unleaded gasoline from $1.54 to $1.56.’
  • ‘Four different solvent media were considered: octane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, and water.’
  • ‘To test the validity of the open-state model, molecular dynamics simulations in octane, a lipid bilayer mimetic, were carried out.’