Main Entry: meth·ane

Pronunciation: \ˈmeth-ˌān, British usually ˈmē-ˌthān\

Function: noun

: a colorless odorless flammable gaseous saturated hydrocarbon CH₄ that is lighter than air and forms explosive mixtures with air or oxygen, that is a product of decomposition of organic matter in marshes and mines or of the carbonization of coal, and that is used as a fuel and raw material in chemical synthesis—called also marsh gas