: 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
And the associated storage tanks and transmission lines are prone to leaking methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas thought to be responsible for about one-third of recent atmospheric warming.
—
The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration is attempting to speed up a more traditional approach of combating climate change by focusing on cutting methane emissions.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
Researchers used aircraft to conduct a survey of methane emissions from hundreds of large landfills across the country.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Interior had previously announced a rule to restrict methane emissions under former President Barack Obama.
—Matthew Daly, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024
There are more than 100,000 unplugged oil and gas wells across California, which are known to release cancer-causing chemicals and planet-warming methane.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Not only does azolla provide lots of free nitrogen, but the plant cover helps suppress weeds and reduces the emission of methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024
The satellite has sensors specifically designed to pick up the fingerprint of the methane molecule.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024
Regulators at the California Air Resources Board have created a multimillion-dollar market for factory farm gas, or methane from animal manure, through a program called the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
—Darvin Bentlage, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration is attempting to speed up a more traditional approach of combating climate change by focusing on cutting methane emissions.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
Researchers used aircraft to conduct a survey of methane emissions from hundreds of large landfills across the country.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Interior had previously announced a rule to restrict methane emissions under former President Barack Obama.
—Matthew Daly, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024
There are more than 100,000 unplugged oil and gas wells across California, which are known to release cancer-causing chemicals and planet-warming methane.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Not only does azolla provide lots of free nitrogen, but the plant cover helps suppress weeds and reduces the emission of methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024
The satellite has sensors specifically designed to pick up the fingerprint of the methane molecule.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024
Regulators at the California Air Resources Board have created a multimillion-dollar market for factory farm gas, or methane from animal manure, through a program called the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
—Darvin Bentlage, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'methane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near methane
Cite this Entry
“Methane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/methane. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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