a colourless highly flammable liquid alkane hydrocarbon, isomeric with heptane, used in aviation fuel; 2,2,3-trimethylbutane. Formula: CH3C(CH3)2CH(CH3)CH3
Word origin
C20: shortened and altered from trimethylbutane; see tri-, methyl, butane
triptane in American English
(ˈtrɪpˌteɪn)
noun
a liquid alkane, (CH3)2CHC(CH3)3, used as a high antiknock fuel in internal-combustion engines, esp. in airplanes