ether

CEFRC1

/ˈiː.θə/

noun

Türkçe translations

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In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A clear liquid once used as an anesthetic.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Often as aether and more fully as luminiferous aether: The hypothetical substance permeating space, functioning as a medium for electromagnetic waves to propagate through, and which does not exert resistance to the movement of matter; its existence is incompa...

Examples

  • The battle rapper ethered his opponent and caused him to slink away in shame.

  • The plane seemed to just disappear into the ether.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The substance formerly supposed to fill the upper regions of the atmosphere above the clouds, in particular as a medium breathed by deities.

  2. The atmosphere or space as a medium for broadcasting radio and television signals; also, a notional space through which Internet and other digital communications take place; cyberspace.

  3. Diethyl ether (C₄H₁₀O), an organic compound with a sweet odour used in the past as an anaesthetic.

More examples

In context

  • In the edition of 1760 of "The Complete Angler" there is a curious quotation from Bowlker, who was a great authority on fish-ponds, in which he recommends:— "When you intend to stick a pool with carp or tench, make a close ethering hedge across the head of th...

  • Of the mysterious world, that come to me From the elements of Fire and Earth and Water, And the all-nourishing Ether!

  • On Wings the Birds through Æther glide, / And Fiſhes cut with Fins the Tide.

Synonyms

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Nearby

Origin

noun

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...