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 But there’s a melancholic layer to it, too, with vocals echoing like a beloved memory fading into the ether. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 50 Best Dance Songs of 2019: Staff List," 20 Dec. 2019 The tweets go out into the ether and dissipate like fog. — Letter Writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: New recycling mantra might discourage recycling," 14 Dec. 2019 Reuters additionally reported that Griffith may have planned to send mining equipment to North Korea, ostensibly so the government or others could generate their own ether. — Matthew De Silva, Quartz, "Bitcoin money laundering is a classically dumb crime," 5 Dec. 2019 Perhaps more voices — in welcome, glorious tension — will form a whole chorus, rising up into the ether toward a worthier aim. — Madeleine Kearns, National Review, "Douglas Murray’s The Madness of Crowds Offers Sanity and Hope," 24 Oct. 2019 Like the helixes your solar system makes spiraling through the ether. — Paul Salopek, National Geographic, "Following a river of questions in eastern India," 16 Oct. 2019 The other images, the great majority of them, the ether and the cloud only know how many millions of images, were shot with phone cameras by the people who really had to live through the combat. — Wired, "The First Smartphone War," 5 Oct. 2019 Because, good God, President Donald Trump injected a lot of stupidity into the political ether. — Daniel W. Drezner, The Denver Post, "Guest Commentary: An especially effective day in the beclowning of the Trump White House," 21 Aug. 2019 Its singing character disarms the listener, its haunting last movement trailing off into the ether. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "‘Silenced Voices’: A haunting album with music from those who died in the Holocaust," 19 Nov. 2019

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

30 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Ether.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethers. Accessed 24 January 2020.

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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