ether

noun \ ˈē-thər \

Definition of ether

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

b : the upper regions of space : heavens

2 a : 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

3 a or less commonly aether play \ˈē-thər\ : a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves

b : airwaves

—

etheric

play \i-ˈther-ik, -ˈthir-\ adjective

See ether defined for English-language learners

See ether defined for kids

Examples of ether in a Sentence

The balloon disappeared into the ether.

Recent Examples of ether from the Web

Collas' grand vision—the MCC, the Amiga OE, the computers and tablets, the online application store—all vanished into the ether.

— jeremy reimer, Ars Technica, "A history of the Amiga, part 11: Between an Escom and a Gateway," 13 Nov. 2017
South Korea banned margin trading in bitcoin and ether Sept. 29 after China earlier cracked down on digital currencies.

— lily katz, Bloomberg.com, "Cryptocurrency Flash Crash Draws Scrutiny From Watchdog," 3 Oct. 2017
Those that do trade do so typically on unregulated platforms and generally can be bought only with virtual currencies such as bitcoin and ether.

— paul vigna, WSJ, "China Bans Digital Coin Offers as Celebrities Like Paris Hilton Tout Them," 4 Sep. 2017
Most of these initial coin offerings (ICOs) were conducted in Bitcoin or ether, and a number have been for coins built directly on the Ethereum platform.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Bitcoin and Ethereum plunge on Chinese crackdown [Updated]," 15 Sep. 2017
PBDEs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, followed as yet another alternative.

— rebecca altman, The Atlantic, "How the Benzene Tree Polluted the World," 4 Oct. 2017
His bolt-and-blue legacy is forgotten doctor’s appointments and family moments that frustratingly vanish into the ether.

— bryce miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chargers All-Pro Kenny Graham lived on vacant lot while sorting post-football life," 29 Sep. 2017
Teams that didn’t move to other cities often vanished into the ether.

— franz lidz, Smithsonian, "The ABA Was Short-Lived, but Its Impact on Basketball Is Eternal," 21 Sep. 2017
Will all this drama play out face-to-face now, or fade into the ether?

— steve rushin, SI.com, "Farewell to the NBA's Summer of Subtweeting," 10 Oct. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of ether

Middle English, from Latin aether, from Greek aithēr, from aithein to ignite, blaze; akin to Old English ād pyre — more at edify

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

ETHER Defined for English Language Learners

ether

noun

Definition of ether for English Language Learners

: 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 ether : the air : the sky

ETHER Defined for Kids

ether

noun \ ˈē-thər \

Definition of ether for Students

: a light flammable liquid used to dissolve fats and especially in the past as an anesthetic

Medical Dictionary

ether

noun \ ˈē-thər \

medical Definition of ether

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

2 a : a light volatile flammable liquid C₄H₁₀O used especially formerly chiefly as an anesthetic — called also diethyl ether, ethyl ether, ethyl oxide

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