ETHER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does ether mean? 

• ETHER (noun)
  The noun ETHER has 4 senses:

1. the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies

2. any of a class of organic compounds that have two hydrocarbon groups linked by an oxygen atom

3. a medium that was once supposed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves

4. a colorless volatile highly flammable liquid formerly used as an inhalation anesthetic

  Familiarity information: ETHER used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ETHER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

ether; quintessence

Hypernyms ("ether" is a kind of...):

element (one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe)

Domain usage:

archaicism; archaism (the use of an archaic expression)

Derivation:

ethereal (of heaven or the spirit)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any of a class of organic compounds that have two hydrocarbon groups linked by an oxygen atom

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("ether" is a kind of...):

organic compound (any compound of carbon and another element or a radical)

Derivation:

ethereal (of or containing or dissolved in ether)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A medium that was once supposed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

aether; ether

Hypernyms ("ether" is a kind of...):

medium (an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A colorless volatile highly flammable liquid formerly used as an inhalation anesthetic

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

diethyl ether; divinyl ether; ether; ethoxyethane; ethyl ether; vinyl ether

Hypernyms ("ether" is a kind of...):

inhalation anaesthetic; inhalation anesthetic; inhalation general anaesthetic; inhalation general anesthetic (a gas that produces general anesthesia when inhaled)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ether"):

enflurane; Ethrane (a nonflammable liquid (trade name Ethrane) used as an inhalation general anesthetic)

Derivation:

ethereal (of or containing or dissolved in ether)

etherify (change into an ether)

etherize (anesthetize with ether)

 Context examples 

The methyl ether of cellulose with laxative activity.

(Methylcellulose, NCI Thesaurus)

A 7-methylthiomethyl ether derivative of paclitaxel with antineoplastic activity.

(BMS-184476, NCI Thesaurus)

The maleate salt of an indole ether quinazoline derivative with antineoplastic activities.

(Cediranib maleate, NCI Thesaurus)

A synthetic analog of lysophosphatidylcholine, an ether lipid, possessing anti-leishmanial and antineoplastic activity.

(Edelfosine, NCI Thesaurus)

A cyclic ether compound with a three-atom ring containing oxygen linked to two carbons.

(Epoxide Compound, NCI Thesaurus)

A clear, colorless, flammable liquid cyclic ether with an ethereal odor.

(Furan, NCI Thesaurus)

Ether is a rapidly diffusible stimulant.

(Ether, NCI Thesaurus)

New observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), however, have uncovered the surprisingly clear chemical fingerprints of the complex organic molecules methanol, dimethyl ether, and methyl formate.

(Stellar Embryos in Nearby Dwarf Galaxy Contain Surprisingly Complex Organic Molecules, National Radio Astronomy Observatory)

They contribute to many crucial metabolic processes such as fatty acid oxidation, biosynthesis of ether lipids and free radical detoxification.

(Peroxisome Biogenesis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Chloromethyl methyl ether is a known human carcinogen.

(Chloromethyl Methyl Ether, NCI Thesaurus)