ˈrānē- noun
Usage: usually capitalized R
Etymology: after Murray Raney died 1966 American engineer and manufacturer
: a finely divided nickel in the form of a pyrophoric powder or crystals or a suspension (as in alcohol) that is prepared from an alloy of equal parts of nickel and aluminum by dissolving the aluminum in warm sodium hydroxide solution and rinsing thoroughly and that is used as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of various organic compounds