/suy'kleuh hek"sayn, sik'leuh-/ , n. Chem.
a colorless, pungent, flammable liquid, C 6 H 12 , composed of a ring of six methylene groups, derived from crude petroleum by distillation or from benzene by hydrogenation: used chiefly as a solvent and in the manufacture of adipic acid. Also called hexahydrobenzene, hexamethylene, hexanaphthene .
[ 1920-25; CYCLO- + HEXANE ]