methane

See also: méthane

English

Etymology

methyl +‎ -ane

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: mēth'ān IPA(key): /ˈmiːθeɪn/
  • (US, Canada) enPR: mĕth'ān, IPA(key): /ˈmɛθeɪn/
  • Audio (UK)(file)
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛθeɪn

Noun

methane (countable and uncountable, plural methanes)

  1. (organic chemistry, uncountable) The simplest aliphatic hydrocarbon, CH4, being a constituent of natural gas.
    Cattle emit a large amount of methane.
  2. (organic chemistry, countable) Any of very many derivatives of methane.

Synonyms
  • methyl hydride (appears in some chemistry literature)
  • carbon tetrahydride (rare, systematic name)

Derived terms

Translations

References
  • “methane” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.

Anagrams
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