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ether
[ ee-ther ]
/ ˈi θər /
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noun
Also called diethyl ether, diethyl oxide, ethyl ether, ethyl oxide, sulfuric ether .Chemistry, Pharmacology. a colorless, highly volatile, flammable liquid, C4H10O, having an aromatic odor and sweet, burning taste, derived from ethyl alcohol by the action of sulfuric acid: used as a solvent and, formerly, as an inhalant anesthetic.
Chemistry. (formerly) one of a class of compounds in which two organic groups are attached directly to an oxygen atom, having the general formula ROR.
the upper regions of space; the clear sky; the heavens.
the medium supposed by the ancients to fill the upper regions of space.
Physics. a hypothetical substance supposed to occupy all space, postulated to account for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through space.
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Also ae·ther (for defs. 3-5) .
Origin of ether
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aethēr “the upper air, pure air, ether,” from Greek aithḗr, akin to aíthein “to glow, burn,” Old English ād “funeral pyre,” Latin aestus “heat”
OTHER WORDS FROM ether
e·ther·ic [ih-ther-ik, ih-theer-], /ɪˈθɛr ɪk, ɪˈθɪər-/, adjectivesu·per·e·ther, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ether
either, etherWords nearby ether
Ethelred I, Ethelred II, Ethelwulf, ethene, ethephon, ether, ethereal, etherealize, Etherege, etheric, etherify
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ether in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ether
ether
/ (ˈiːθə) /
noun
Also called: diethyl ether, ethyl ether, ethoxyethane a colourless volatile highly flammable liquid with a characteristic sweetish odour, made by the reaction of sulphuric acid with ethanol: used as a solvent and anaesthetic. Formula: C 2 H 5 OC 2 H 5
any of a class of organic compounds with the general formula ROR′ where R and R′ are alkyl groups, as in diethyl ether C 2 H 5 OC 2 H 5
the ether the hypothetical medium formerly believed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves
Greek myth the upper regions of the atmosphere; clear sky or heaven
a rare word for air
Also (for senses 3–5): aether
Derived forms of ether
etheric (iːˈθɛrɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for ether
C17: from Latin aether, from Greek aithēr, from aithein to burn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for ether
ether
[ ē′thər ]
An organic compound in which two hydrocarbon groups are linked by an oxygen atom, having the general structure ROR′, where R and R′ are the two hydrocarbon groups. At room temperature, ethers are pleasant-smelling liquids resembling alcohols but less dense and less soluble in water. Ethers are part of many naturally occurring organic compounds, such as starches and sugars, and are widely used in industry and in making pharmaceuticals.
A colorless, flammable liquid used as a solvent and formerly used as an anesthetic. Ether consists of two ethyl groups joined by an oxygen atom. Also called diethyl ether, ethyl ether. Chemical formula: C4H10O.
A hypothetical medium formerly believed to permeate all space, and through which light and other electromagnetic radiation were thought to move. The existence of ether was disproved by the American physicists Albert Michelson and Edward Morley in 1887.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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