Dictionary

methane

noun meth·ane \ˈme-ˌthān, British usually ˈmē-\

: a colorless gas that has no smell and that can be burned for fuel

Full Definition of METHANE

:  a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon CH4 that is a product of 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
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Origin of METHANE

International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use: 1867
Medical Dictionary

methane

noun meth·ane \ˈmeth-ˌān, British usually ˈmē-ˌthān\

Medical Definition of METHANE

:  a colorless odorless flammable gaseous saturated hydrocarbon CH4 that is lighter than air and forms explosive mixtures with air or oxygen, that is a product of decomposition of organic matter in marshes and mines or of the carbonization of coal, and that is used as a fuel and raw material in chemical synthesis—called also marsh gas

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