etherinn.
/ˈiːθərɪn/, U.S. /ˈiθərən/ Chemistry. Now historical.
A radical supposedly present in ethanol, ether, etc., and isomeric with ethylene (C2H4). Cf. etherene n., ethyl n. 1.
ΚΠ
1833 tr. J. J. Berzelius in Dublin Jrnl. Med. & Chem. Sci. 3 264 Let us represent the oil of wine which I purpose to call étherine [Fr. éthérine], by C4H8 = Ae... Let us suppose that there exists an oxide of etherine.
1857 R. Bridges Fownes's Elem. Chem. (new ed.) 362 Both etherole and etherin have the same composition, namely C4H4, and are consequently isomeric with olefiant gas.
1882 H. Watts Dict. Chem. II. 507 When heavy oil of wine..is warmed with water, a light oily liquid rises to the surface, which is a mixture of two substances, both polymeric with ethylene, viz. etherin and etherol.
1922 J. W. Mellor Comprehensive Treat. Inorg. & Theoret. Chem. I. v. 217 The radicle etherine was thought to be always present in what are now called ethyl compounds.
1999 Oxf. Dict. Scientists 150/1 Dumas..was originally an exponent of the ‘etherin’ theory (in which ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and diethyl ether were considered to be compounds of etherin (ethene) with one and two molecules of water, respectively).
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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