ethephon

noun

eth·​e·​phon ˈe-thə-ˌfän 

: a synthetic plant growth regulator C₂H₆ClO₃P that induces flowering and abscission by promoting the release of ethylene and has been used to cause early ripening (as of apples on the tree)

Word History

Etymology

ethyl + phosphonic acid (a dibasic organic acid)

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above