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noun Uncommon

ether

EE-thuh
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Ether (noun) means a sweet-smelling, highly flammable liquid once widely used as an anaesthetic and still used as a solvent. Example: “Doctors once used ether to put patients to sleep before surgery.”

noun
1
A sweet-smelling, highly flammable liquid once widely used as an anaesthetic and still used as a solvent.
"Doctors once used ether to put patients to sleep before surgery."
2
The clear upper sky or heavens, especially in older or poetic usage; historically, a hypothetical substance once thought to fill space.
"The poem describes stars scattered across the ether."
3
The airwaves or broadcast medium through which radio, TV, or digital signals travel.
"The message vanished into the digital ether."

How to use ether

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA chemical solvent/anaesthetic, or poetically, the sky or an unseen medium that signals or messages seem to travel through.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "either" (a word for choice between options) — they sound similar but are unrelated.

Easily confused with
either →
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Word forms

Plural
ethers
Third person singular
ethers
Past tense
ethered
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Doctors once used _____ to put patients to sleep before surgery.

Etymology

From Latin aethēr, from Ancient Greek aithḗr (\"the upper air, sky\"), from aíthō (\"to burn, blaze\") — originally the imagined substance filling the heavens above the clouds.

Origin: Ancient Greek

Synonyms

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ethoxyethane aether quintessence

Related words

model gist Aether quintessence gravamen exemplar

Rhymes for ether

wether tether nether Aether whether together bellwether altogether
See all rhymes for ether →

Frequently asked questions

What does “ether” mean?
The word “ether” means a sweet-smelling, highly flammable liquid once widely used as an anaesthetic and still used as a solvent. In plain terms, a chemical solvent/anaesthetic, or poetically, the sky or an unseen medium that signals or messages seem to travel through.
How do you pronounce “ether”?
“Ether” is pronounced EE-thuh (/ˈi.θɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “ether” in a sentence?
Here is “ether” used in a sentence: “Doctors once used ether to put patients to sleep before surgery.”
What part of speech is “ether”?
“Ether” is a noun.
Where does the word “ether” come from?
The word “ether” comes from Ancient Greek. From Latin aethēr, from Ancient Greek aithḗr (\"the upper air, sky\"), from aíthō (\"to burn, blaze\") — originally the imagined substance filling the heavens above the clouds.
Is “ether” a common word?
“Ether” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “ether” have?
“Ether” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sweet-smelling, highly flammable liquid once widely used as an anaesthetic and still used as a solvent.

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model gist Aether quintessence gravamen exemplar