methane

American  

[meth-eyn, mee-theyn] / ˈmɛθ eɪn, ˈmi θeɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, odorless, flammable gas, CH 4 , 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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methane British  

/ ˈmiːθeɪn /

noun

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

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methane Scientific  

/ mĕth′ān′ /

1. 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: CH ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of methane

First recorded in 1865–70; meth- + -ane

Example Sentences

The 2009 finding concluded that six greenhouse gases -- including carbon dioxide and methane -- endanger public health and welfare by driving climate change.

From Barron's

The world’s endowment of hydrocarbons is all but limitless, including unimaginable quantities of methane hydrates, not to mention that hydrocarbons can also be grown agriculturally.

From The Wall Street Journal

Natural gas, which is mainly methane, is a major cause of climate change when it leaks out without being burned.

From Los Angeles Times

This process may help explain a long standing mystery on Mars: the rapid disappearance of methane.

From Science Daily

Two miners have died due to a methane leak at a Polish mine where a gas explosion killed 14 in 2022, the mine's operator said on Tuesday.

From Barron's