ether

noun \ ˈē-thər \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

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

Not long after, the monarchies fell, with the changes evaporating into the ether.

— rafia zakaria, The New Republic, "Driving Toward Change," 23 June 2018
The soldier would be put to sleep with chloroform or ether.

— michael e. ruane, ajc, "‘Limb pit’ found on Civil War battlefield in Virginia tells of horror stories," 19 June 2018
Virtual currencies like bitcoin and ether experienced a meteoric rise in 2017, drawing interest from everyday investors as well as Wall Street.

— paul vigna, WSJ, "Investors Bet $4 Billion on a Cryptocurrency Startup," 29 May 2018
The coins prosecutors are examining include bitcoin and ether, which have both bounced up and down over the past 18 months.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "The DoJ is reportedly probing the murky world of bitcoin trading," 24 May 2018
There’s been a colossal-size topper floating around the fashion ether lately.

— madeline fass, Vogue, "This Summer’s Best Sun Hats Are Supersized," 15 June 2018
Following that announcement, many experts anticipated that the commission would take a similar line on ether.

— shannon liao, The Verge, "The SEC says Ethereum tokens are not securities," 14 June 2018
North Korea will vanish into the ever-churning news-cycle ether by next week.

— frank rich, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Summit Spectacle Was Just a Momentary Distraction From His Bigger Problems," 13 June 2018
His notebooks and sketchpads brim over with words and phrases pulled out of the ether.

— mark rozzo, Vanities, "Ed Ruscha Still Has Plenty More to Say About America," 30 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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