What is "triethylamine"

Triethylamine \Tri*eth`yl*am"ine\, n. [Pref. tri- + ethylamine.] (Chem.) A tertiary amine analogous to trimethylamine.

n. (context organic compound English) The tertiary amine (CH₃-CH₂)₃N, having many industrial uses.

Triethylamine is the chemical compound with the formula N(CHCH), commonly abbreviated EtN. It is also abbreviated TEA, yet this abbreviation must be used carefully to avoid confusion with triethanolamine or tetraethylammonium, for which TEA is also a common abbreviation. It is a colourless volatile liquid with a strong fishy odor reminiscent of ammonia and is also the smell of the hawthorn plant. Like diisopropylethylamine (Hünig’s base), triethylamine is commonly encountered in organic synthesis.