methane
noun
meth·ane
| \ ˈme-ˌthān
, British usually ˈmē-\
, British usually ˈmē-\
Definition of methane
: 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
At the same time, the total in 2015 of nearly 127 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other emissions is a long way from the goals in a new law targeting climate change and air pollution. — Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, "For the first time, Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions trending down," 12 July 2019 That food waste in landfills generates carbon dioxide and methane, a greenhouse gas 28 to 36 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. — The Washington Post, oregonlive.com, "This man ate ‘expired’ food for a year. Here’s why expiration dates can be meaningless.," 18 June 2019 That food waste in landfills generates carbon dioxide and methane, a greenhouse gas 28 to 36 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "This man ate ‘expired’ food for a year. Here’s why expiration dates can be meaningless.," 18 June 2019 Nothing will happen immediately, because the methane is leaking out of the house (which isn’t airtight) at the same time. — Nathaniel Penn, Popular Mechanics, "The Day the Town Blew Up," 3 June 2019 The animal waste in the lagoons undergoes anaerobic digestion, where microorganisms break down many of the substances into carbon dioxide and methane. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Florence dropped so much rain that hog waste is spilling out of lagoons," 18 Sep. 2018 In addition, the decomposition of the permafrost also releases toxic gases, otherwise known as greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, which accelerate climate change and make the planet increasingly warmer. — Elly Belle, Teen Vogue, "Arctic Wolf Spiders Are Getting Bigger and It Could Slow Part of Climate Change," 24 July 2018 This is partly because raising animals for food is resource-intensive, requiring the production of feed and fertilizers that result in greenhouse gases -- not to mention the methane that comes from cows. — Michael Nedelman, CNN, "Eat healthier, and you'll help save the planet, report says," 8 Aug. 2019 When burned for heat or power, methane emits less carbon dioxide (CO2) than fossil fuels such as coal. — Sid Perkins, Science | AAAS, "Major U.S. cities are leaking methane at twice the rate previously believed," 19 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'methane.' 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 methane
methane
noun
English Language Learners Definition of methane
: a colorless gas that has no smell and that can be burned for fuel
See the full definition for methane in the English Language Learners Dictionary
methane
noun
meth·ane
| \ ˈmeth-ˌān, British usually ˈmē-ˌthān\
Medical Definition of methane
: 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
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