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ether

[ee-ther]

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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, aether (for defs. 3–5).

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin aethēr the upper air, pure air, ether < Greek aithḗr, akin to aíthein to glow, burn, Old English ād funeral pyre, Latin aestus heat

Related forms

e·ther·ic

[ih-ther-ik, ih-theer-] , adjective

su·per·e·ther, noun

Can be confused: either, ether.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To ether

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Ether is always a great word to know.

So is scavenger. Does it mean:

a chemical that consumes or renders inactive the impurities in a mixture

having an unsymmetrical arrangement of atoms in a molecule, or noting a carbon atom bonded to four different atoms or groups

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Example Sentences

Soon the reaction to his planned no-show was coming across the ether.

Once, the beastly things that lovers said at the end disappeared into the ether.

Something else that doesn't translate well over the ether is humor, especially dry humor.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

ether (ˈiːθə)

—n
1.	diethyl ether, ethyl ether, Also called: 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: C₂H₅OC₂H₅
2.	any of a class of organic compounds with the general formula ROR′ where R and R′ are alkyl groups, as in diethyl ether C₂H₅OC₂H₅
3.	the ether the hypothetical medium formerly believed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves
4.	Greek myth the upper regions of the atmosphere; clear sky or heaven
5.	a rare word for air

[C17: from Latin aether, from Greek aithēr, from aithein to burn]

etheric

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

ether

late 14c., from L. æther "the upper pure, bright air," from Gk. aither "upper air," from aithein "to burn, shine," from I.E. base *aidh- "to burn" (cf. Skt. inddhe "burst into flames," O.Ir. aed "fire," L. aedes, see edify). In ancient cosmology, the element that filled

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all space beyond the sphere of the moon, constituting the substance of the stars and planets. Conceived of as a purer form of fire or air, or as a fifth element. From 17c.-19c., it was the scientific word for an assumed "frame of reference" for forces in the universe, perhaps without material properties. The concept was shaken by the Michelson-Morley experiment (1887) and discarded after the Theory of Relativity won acceptance, but before it went it gave rise to the colloquial use of ether for "the radio" (1899). The name also was bestowed 1757 on a volatile chemical compound for its lightness and lack of color (its anesthetic properties weren't fully established until 1842).

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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

ether e·ther (ē'thər)
n.

Any of a class of organic compounds in which two hydrocarbon groups are linked by an oxygen atom.
An anesthetic ether, especially diethyl ether.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

ether (ē'thər) Pronunciation Key

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.

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Computing Dictionary

ETHER definition

language
A concurrent object-oriented language?
(1997-03-18)

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