ether

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a substance once thought to fill space and carry light or electromagnetic waves

   Scientists once explained light as moving through the ether.

2. 2
   noun

   a volatile liquid once used as an anesthetic

   The old surgery notes mentioned ether.

Simplified etymology

Ether came into late Middle English through Latin from Greek aithēr, “upper air,” related to aithein, “to burn” or “shine.” It first named a substance thought to fill the region beyond the moon, then the rarefied medium once believed to permeate space; the name was later applied to a volatile liquid used as an anaesthetic.

From Latin aether and Greek aither, 'upper air'. The spelling aether preserves the older classical form.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary