methylene

[meth-uh-leen] /ˈmɛθ əˌlin/
adjective, Chemistry
1.
containing the methylene group.
Origin
< French méthylène (coined in 1834), equivalent to Greek méth(y) wine (see mead1) + hýl(ē) wood + French -ène -ene, taken to mean “wood-spirits” (vin ou liqueur spiritueuse du bois), though elements of the compound are in the wrong order to give this sense
Examples from the web for methylene
  • methylene chloride is predominantly used as a solvent.
British Dictionary definitions for methylene

methylene

/ˈmɛθɪˌliːn/
noun
1.
(modifier) of, consisting of, or containing the divalent group of atoms =CH2: a methylene group or radical
Word Origin
C19: from French méthylène, from Greek methu wine + hulē wood + -ene: originally referring to a substance distilled from wood
Word Origin and History for methylene
n.

1835, from French méthylène (1834), coined by Jean-Baptiste-André Dumas (1800-1884) and Eugène-Melchior Péligot (1811-1890) from Greek methy "wine" (see mead (n.1)) + -yl "stuff" + chemical suffix -ene. So called because detected in wood alcohol.

methylene in Medicine

methylene meth·yl·ene (měth'ə-lēn')
n.
A bivalent hydrocarbon radical, CH2, that is a component of unsaturated hydrocarbons and is derived from methane by the removal of two hydrogen atoms.

methylene in Science
methylene
  (měth'ə-lēn')   
A bivalent hydrocarbon radical, CH2. Because it has two unshared electrons, it is extremely reactive and occurs only as an intermediate byproduct in chemical reactions. Methylene is a component of unsaturated hydrocarbons.