ether
noun
\ 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
\
: 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
etheric
\ i-ˈther-ik
, -ˈthir- \
adjective
, -ˈthir- \
adjective
Examples of ether in a Sentence
The balloon disappeared into the ether.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, loans through MakerDAO require overcollateralization (ie, pledging $300 of ether to borrow $200 of Dai, another crypto). — Matthew De Silva, Quartz, "What’s behind the buzz about “decentralized finance”?," 22 Aug. 2019 After the Mariners pulled another victory out of the ether on Thursday in Kansas City? — Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, "Historic or hysterical? Mariners’ magical start borders on the absurd, but oh what fun it is," 12 Apr. 2019 These include bitcoin, bitcoin cash, bitcoin gold, ether, and litecoin. — Matthew De Silva, Quartz, "New Zealand gives a vote of confidence in bitcoin, while the US remains wary," 15 Aug. 2019 Satoshi appears to have worked on the project for years before emerging out of the ether to announce it on the Cryptography mailing list in October 2008, with his now famous white paper. — Evan Ratliff, WIRED, "Was Bitcoin Created by This International Drug Dealer? Maybe!," 16 July 2019 Bernhardt, dressed in the style of Byzantine nobility, was flanked by white spaces, as though she had stepped out of the ether. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "How Posters Became Art," 1 July 2019 The price of ether, the currency of the Ethereum network, is up 11% over the last 24 hours to nearly $350. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Bitcoin soars past $12,500 five days after hitting $10,000," 26 June 2019 Some ornate manipulation of ether?—we’d all scream the whole way. — Lisa Wells, Harper's magazine, "Nightmares at 20,000 Feet," 10 Apr. 2019 The subject eventually vanished into the digital ether as people stopped liking or retweeting. — Scott Craven, azcentral, "Is going to Disneyland or Disney World more fun without kids? Definitely. Here's why.," 2 Aug. 2019These 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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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
\
\
Kids Definition of ether
: a light flammable liquid used to dissolve fats and especially in the past as an anesthetic
ether
noun
\ ˈē-thər
\
\
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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