[sahy-kluh-proh-peyn, sik-luh-] 
| a colorless, flammable gas, C3H6, used in organic synthesis and in medicine as an anesthetic. |
| cy·clo·pro·pane (sī'klə-prō'pān') n. A highly flammable, explosive, colorless gas, C3H6, sometimes used as an anesthetic. |
cyclopropane
explosive, colourless gas used in medicine since 1934 as a general anesthetic. Cyclopropane is nonirritating to mucous membranes and does not depress respiration. Induction of and emergence from cyclopropane anesthesia are usually rapid and smooth. A mixture of about 5 to 20 percent cyclopropane in oxygen is administered by inhalation. Because of the flammability and expense of cyclopropane, it is usually used in a closed (rebreathing) system, in which an absorbent chemical, such as soda lime, removes exhaled carbon dioxide, and the anesthetic is recirculated. The chemical formula is C3H6.
Learn more about cyclopropane with a free trial on Britannica.com.
kləˈproʊ