methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈme-ˌthān How to pronounce methane (audio)
 British usually  ˈmē-
: a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon CH4 that is a product of biological decomposition of organic matter and of the carbonization of coal, is used as a fuel and as a starting material in chemical synthesis, and is the simplest of the alkanes

Examples of methane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And the reservoirs behind them burp out large amounts of methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The details of the gas-station plan are still concepts on paper, but the ambitious idea goes like this: SpaceX will launch a number of Starships loaded with propellant, a combination of liquid methane and liquid oxygen, into orbit around Earth. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 Read More: Titan-in-a-Test-Tube: Earthbound Chemists Search for Alien Life Titan’s atmosphere also allows the surface to host rivers, lakes and oceans — all containing liquid methane and ethane. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 In the new study, the team showed that lightning can’t make ammonia, methane, or nitrous oxide on its own, making those chemicals even more reliable signs of life. Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 According to Stanford, the methane leakage from our homes is responsible for a large amount of methane in the atmosphere. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2024 Continuing to burn a lot of natural gas to produce electricity will, of course, undermine efforts to lower emissions of carbon dioxide and methane — two major greenhouse gases. Ivan Penn, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 The group worked alongside 40 research institutions and 50 companies to put together a more comprehensive picture of methane emissions. Justine Calma, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024 Internationally, more than 100 countries have pledged to reduce their methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'methane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of methane was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near methane

Cite this Entry

“Methane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/methane. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

methane

noun
meth·​ane ˈmeth-ˌān How to pronounce methane (audio)
: a colorless odorless flammable gas that consists of carbon and hydrogen and is produced by decay of organic matter

Medical Definition

methane

noun
meth·​ane
ˈmeth-ˌān, British usually ˈmē-ˌthān
: a colorless, odorless, flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon CH4 that is lighter than air, forms explosive mixtures with air or oxygen, and occurs naturally as a by-product of the decomposition of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria

called also marsh gas

More from Merriam-Webster on methane

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