Obsolescent term for saturated
hydrocarbons, commonly but not necessarily acyclic. Still widely used in the petrochemical industry,
where the term designates acyclic saturated
hydrocarbons, and stands in contradistinction to
naphthenes.
Source:
PAC, 1995, 67, 1307
(Glossary of class names of organic compounds and reactivity intermediates based on
structure (IUPAC Recommendations 1995))
on page 1356