methane

[meth-eyn, mee-theyn]

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.

methane

/ 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

methane

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 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of methane¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of methane¹

C19: from _meth ( _yl ) + _-ane

Example Sentences

“When this project initially comes online, there likely won’t actually be any hydrogen in the mix, so we’ll still just be burning 100% methane for potentially an indeterminable amount of time.”

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Among them is one unusual microbe that produces methane -- a gas more often associated with cows and landfills than humans.

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The event was widely seen as a wake-up call to the dangers of methane and underground natural gas storage.

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Titan's extremely cold surface is home to lakes and rivers of liquid methane and ethane.

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The new plan covers all sectors of the economy and all greenhouse emissions, after China’s first Paris plan left out methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal