ether

Also called: diethyl ether.�� ethyl ether.�� ethoxyethane.��a colourless volatile highly flammable liquid with a characteristic sweetish odour, made by the reaction of sulphuric acid with ethanol: used as a solvent and anaesthetic. Formula: C 2 H 5 OC 2 H 5

any of a class of organic compounds with the general formula ROR′ where R and R′ are alkyl groups, as in diethyl ether C 2 H 5 OC 2 H 5

the hypothetical medium formerly believed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves

Greek myth the upper regions of the atmosphere; clear sky or heaven

a rare word for air

An organic compound in which two hydrocarbon groups are linked by an oxygen atom, having the general structure ROR|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||, where R and R|||PRIMARY_STRESS||| 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.

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: C ₄ H ₁₀ O.

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.