tetrafluoroethylene

[ te-truh-floo r-oh-eth-uh-leen, -flawr-, -flohr- ]
/ ˌtɛ trəˌflʊər oʊˈɛθ əˌlin, -ˌflɔr-, -ˌfloʊr- /

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, water-insoluble, flammable gas, C2F4, used in the synthesis of certain polymeric resins, as Teflon.

Origin of tetrafluoroethylene

First recorded in 1930–35; tetra- + fluoro- + ethylene