ether

noun

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\ ˈē-thər

Definition of ether

1a : the rarefied element formerly believed to fill the upper regions of space

b : the upper regions of space : heavens

2a : a light volatile flammable liquid C₄H₁₀O used chiefly as a solvent and especially formerly as an anesthetic

b : any of a class of organic compounds characterized by an oxygen atom attached to two carbon atoms

3a or less commonly aether \ ˈē-thər

\ : a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves

b : airwaves

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Examples of ether in a Sentence

The balloon disappeared into the ether.

Recent Examples on the Web Suggest that your friends go outside immediately after the game to either light off sparklers and air hug in celebration or scream into the ether and commiserate (from a distance). — Molly Longman, refinery29.com, "The Super Bowl May Cause An Uptick In COVID-19 Cases — Here’s How To Watch Safely," 5 Feb. 2021 Hunt wondered how many times this request had been spoken into the ether, and how many times it would be allowed to go unanswered before the attendant battle group—which seemed to be drawing ever closer—took action. — Elliot Ackerman, Wired, "2034, Part I: Peril in the South China Sea," 26 Jan. 2021 The names of potential replacement candidates are already swirling through the ether and many of them are intriguing. — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "Commissioner Larry Scott’s pending Pac-12 departure is necessary and overdue," 21 Jan. 2021 The price of ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, rose as much as 35% over the three-day weekend, trading above $1,000 for the first time since early 2018. — Paul Vigna, WSJ, "Bitcoin Surges Into 2021, Rose Nearly 20% Over Weekend," 4 Jan. 2021 There’s the simple physical bounds of being human; as of yet, we can’t be zapped through the ether. — Tom Vanderbilt, Wired, "The Pandemic Gives Us a Chance to Change How We Get Around," 2 Dec. 2020 The very concept of a career trajectory was challenged as jobs in certain industries quite literally disappeared into the ether. — Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, "Is Ambition Dead?," 4 Dec. 2020 His ideas seemed to come to him from out of the ether, with no foundation in facts, analysis, or underlying philosophy. — Bruce Bartlett, The New Republic, "Bush Doesn’t Look Better in Hindsight. He Looks Worse.," 23 Nov. 2020 The ideas, that was what really mattered, at the end of the day, coming out through that screen, smashing into the ones in his own mind, turning it into magic from the raw ether. — Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Wired, "The Future of Work: ‘Work Ethics,’ by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne," 13 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ether.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

19 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Ether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ether. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for ether

ether

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ether

: a liquid that burns easily, that is used to turn solid substances into liquid, and that was used in medicine in the past to prevent patients from feeling pain during operations

: the air : the sky

See the full definition for ether in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ether

noun

\ ˈē-thər