Main Entry:

meth·ane

Pronunciation:

\ˈme-ˌthān, British usually ˈmē-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

International Scientific Vocabulary

Date:

1867

: a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon CH₄ that is a product of decomposition of organic matter and of the carbonization of coal, is used as a fuel and as a starting material in chemical synthesis, and is the simplest of the alkanes