Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
1,027,778,071 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

ether

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
e·ther  (thr)
n.
1. Any of a class of organic compounds in which two hydrocarbon groups are linked by an oxygen atom.
2. A volatile, highly flammable liquid, C2H5OC2H5, derived from the distillation of ethyl alcohol with sulfuric acid and used as a reagent and solvent. It was formerly used as an anesthetic. Also called diethyl ether, ethyl ether.
3. The regions of space beyond the earth's atmosphere; the heavens.
4. The element believed in ancient and medieval civilizations to fill all space above the sphere of the moon and to compose the stars and planets.
5. Physics An all-pervading, infinitely elastic, massless medium formerly postulated as the medium of propagation of electromagnetic waves.

[Middle English, upper air, from Latin aethr, from Greek aithr.]

e·theric (-thrk, -thîr-) adj.

ether
Noun
1. a colourless sweet-smelling liquid used as a solvent and anaesthetic
2. the substance formerly believed to fill all space and to transmit electromagnetic waves
3. the upper regions of the atmosphere; clear sky Also (for senses 2 and 3): (aether) [Greek aithein to burn]

ether  (thr)
1. An organic compound in which two hydrocarbon groups are linked by an oxygen atom, having the general structure ROR, where R and R are the two hydrocarbon groups. At room temperature, ethers are pleasant-smelling liquids resembling alcohols but less dense and less soluble in water. Ethers are part of many naturally occurring organic compounds, such as starches and sugars, and are widely used in industry and in making pharmaceuticals.
2. A colorless, flammable liquid used as a solvent and formerly used as an anesthetic. Ether consists of two ethyl groups joined by an oxygen atom. Also called diethyl ether, ethyl ether. Chemical formula: C4H10O.
3. A hypothetical medium formerly believed to permeate all space, and through which light and other electromagnetic radiation were thought to move. The existence of ether was disproved by the American physicists Albert Michelson and Edward Morley in 1887.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.ether - the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies
archaicism, archaism - the use of an archaic expression
element - one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe; "the alchemists believed that there were four elements"
2.ether - any of a class of organic compounds that have two hydrocarbon groups linked by an oxygen atom
organic compound - any compound of carbon and another element or a radical
3.ether - a medium that was once supposed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves
medium - an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication
4.ether - a colorless volatile highly inflammable liquid formerly used as an inhalation anesthetic
enflurane, Ethrane - a nonflammable liquid (trade name Ethrane) used as an inhalation general anesthetic
Translations

ether [ˈiːθəʳ] néter m
ether [ˈiːθəʳ] néther m
ether [ˈiːθəʳ] nÄther m
ether [ˈiːθəʳ] netere m

ether
n ether [ˈiːθə]
a colourless liquid used to dissolve fats etc, and, medically, as an anaesthetic. eterالأثيرетерéteræterder Ätherαιθέραςétereeterاترeetteriétherאֶתֶרरंग रहित द्रवeteréteretereteretereエーテル에테르eterisēteriscecair eteretheretereterétereterэфирétereteretareterสารอีเธอร์eter, lokman ruhu乙醚, 以太ефірایک بے رنگ آتشگیر نامیاتی سیال جو بے ہوشی یا بے حسی پیدا کرنے یا محلل کے طور پر استعمال ہوتا ہےête醚,

?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Your readers will possibly comprehend that the Atlantic, in this parable, stands for the mighty ocean of ether through which we drift and that the bunch of corks represents the little and obscure planetary system to which we belong.
It would be such a vacuum as cannot be artificially produced; for if we pump the air from a receiver there remains the luminiferous ether.
in what rapt ether sails the world, of which the weariest will never weary?
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.. Terms of Use.