methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈme-ˌthān 

British usually ˈmē-

: a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon CH₄ that is a product of biological decomposition of organic matter and of the carbonization of coal, is used as a fuel and as a starting material in chemical synthesis, and is the simplest of the alkanes

Examples of methane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Landfill waste is a large producer of the greenhouse gases carbon and methane. —Elizabeth MacBride, CNBC, 19 May 2026

SpaceX's Starship is powered by a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox). —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 19 May 2026

True, the gold standard in terms of energy density for practical fuels will always be hydrogen, with methane a distant second. —David Szondy may 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026

The plant provides habitat for fish, crabs and plankton, feeds migratory birds and locks away carbon and methane — both heat-trapping greenhouse gases — in coastal sediments. —Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for methane

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈmeth-ˌān 

: a colorless odorless flammable gas that consists of carbon and hydrogen and is produced by decay of organic matter

Medical Definition

methane

noun

meth·​ane

ˈmeth-ˌān, British usually ˈmē-ˌthān

: a colorless, odorless, flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon CH₄ that is lighter than air, forms explosive mixtures with air or oxygen, and occurs naturally as a by-product of the decomposition of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria

called also marsh gas