definitions

methane

[ meth-eyn; British mee-theyn ]
/ ˈmɛθ eɪn; British ˈmi θeɪn /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR methane ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, odorless, flammable gas, CH4, the main constituent of marsh gas and the firedamp of coal mines, obtained commercially from natural gas: the first member of the methane, or alkane, series of hydrocarbons.

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Nearby words

methaemoglobin, methamphetamine, methamphetamine hydrochloride, methanal, methanation, methane, methane series, methanesulfonic acid, methanogen, methanoic acid, methanol

Origin of methane

First recorded in 1865–70; meth- + -ane
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for methane

British Dictionary definitions for methane

methane

/ (ˈmiːθeɪn) /

noun

a colourless odourless flammable gas, the simplest alkane and the main constituent of natural gas: used as a fuel. Formula: CH 4See also marsh gas, firedamp

Word Origin for methane

C19: from meth (yl) + -ane
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for methane

methane

[ mĕth′ān′ ]

n.

An odorless, colorless, flammable gas that is the major constituent of natural gas and is used as a fuel and as an important source of hydrogen.marsh gas
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for methane

methane

[ mĕth′ān′ ]

A colorless, odorless, flammable gas that is the simplest hydrocarbon. It is the major constituent of natural gas and is released during the decomposition of plant or other organic compounds, as in marshes and coal mines. Methane is the first member of the alkane series. Chemical formula: CH4.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.