Link Centre Dictionary

ether

et·her

UK/ˈiː.θə/ US/ˈi.θɚ/ uncommon literary slang uk

noun

1.
2.

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

Synonyms
3.

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

4.

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

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English ēther (“the caelum aetherum of ancient cosmology in which the planets orbit; a shining, fluid substance described as a form of air or fire; air”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman ether and Middle French ether, ethere, aether, from Old French aether (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; medium supposedly filling the upper regions of space”) (modern French éther), or directly from its etymon Latin aethēr (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; air; heavens, sky; light of day; ethereal matter surrounding a deity”) (note also New Latin aethēr (“chemical compound analogous to diethyl ether”)), from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “purer upper air of the atmosphere; heaven, sky; theoretical medium supposed to fill unoccupied space and transmit heat and light”), from αἴθω (aíthō, “to burn, ignite; to blaze, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ- (“to burn; fire”).

Phrases

  • crown ether
  • decabromodiphenyl ether
  • diethyl ether
  • dimethyl ether
  • diphenyl ether
  • ether engine
  • ethyl ether
  • ethyl vinyl ether

Related words

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.