ether
noun
\
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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Other Words from ether
-ˈthir-
\
adjective
Examples of ether in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s what happens when money floats into the ether of latter-day Wall Street, unmoored by connection to substance. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, "Review: ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ Is a Transfixing Epic of Riches and Ruin," 13 July 2018 So the introduction of powerful and energy-efficient custom ASICs could increase the amount of computing power required to produce one unit of ether. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Why this year’s insane graphics-card price surge might be over," 30 Apr. 2018 There was no more fitting team to dispatch Mexico from this World Cup than Brazil because Brazil is the country better than any that helps contextualize El Tri’s standing in the international soccer ether. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "Mexico’s World Cup Ends in Round of 16," 2 July 2018 All those handsome, heroic dads parading through the ether can disturb people whose fathers fell far short of the ideal, or whose fathers are gone. — Mary Schmich, chicagotribune.com, "Is Father's Day outdated?," 15 June 2018 Those issues have been in the ether for decades, and not one has turned into a Silicon Valley movement. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "Google and the Rise of "Digital Wellbeing"," 9 May 2018 Lazy or not, the soufflé was as light as ether just the same. — Samin Nosrat, New York Times, "No Time for a Breakfast Soufflé? Try a ‘Soufflazy’," 22 Feb. 2018 Coinbase currently offers trading in bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether and litecoin. — Fortune, "Bitcoin Rises as Ripple's Allure Fades Among Cryptocurrency Traders," 5 Jan. 2018 Each is a replica of the last, a humming absence spinning into the ether. — Sadia Hassan, Longreads, "Silence is a Lonely Country: A Prayer in Twelve Parts," 13 July 2018These 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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Learn More about ether
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Out of the 'Ether'
Out of the 'Ether'
From a diss track to discourse
Dictionary Entries near ether
Statistics for ether
Last Updated
4 Nov 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for ether
The first known use of ether was in the 14th century
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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 ether : the air : the sky
See the full definition for ether in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ether
noun
\
Kids Definition of ether
: a light flammable liquid used to dissolve fats and especially in the past as an anesthetic
ether
noun
\
Medical Definition of ether
1 : a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves
2a
: 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
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