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

And natural gas, the fossil fuel methane, is prone to price fluctuations. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 21 Jan. 2026

Grey hydrogen, currently the most common type of hydrogen, is produced from natural gas through steam methane reforming. —Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Carbon Monoxide Detector This four-in-one detector not only reads carbon monoxide on the road but also detects other combustible, explosive gases, like LPG (methane), propane, and natural gas. —Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 16 Jan. 2026

Kim Stackhouse-Lawson and Sara Place are experts in cow burps and technologies to mitigate the methane associated with them. —Sara Place, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 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