methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈme-ˌthān 

British usually ˈmē-

: a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon CH₄ that is a product of biological 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

Examples of methane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The six-month pilot transformed methane-rich gas from a California dairy farm’s manure digester into jet fuel that meets ASTM standards for commercial aviation. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026

This year, the United Arab Emirates was told its gas leaks less methane than everyone had assumed. —Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

Its only major expense is what’s in the tank, the hydrogen-methane blend that’s cheaper than jet fuel. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 13 June 2026

And then the other is thinking directly about carbon release and applications that involve changing the microbiome in cattle to avoid the emission of methane. —Quanta Magazine, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for methane

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈmeth-ˌān 

: a colorless odorless flammable gas that consists of carbon and hydrogen and is produced by decay of organic matter

Medical Definition

methane

noun

meth·​ane

ˈmeth-ˌān, British usually ˈmē-ˌthān

: a colorless, odorless, flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon CH₄ that is lighter than air, forms explosive mixtures with air or oxygen, and occurs naturally as a by-product of the decomposition of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria

called also marsh gas