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