ethane

noun

eth·​ane ˈe-ˌthān 

British usually

ˈē- 

: a colorless odorless gaseous alkane C₂H₆ found in natural gas and used as a fuel

Examples of ethane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Under the bombardment of sunlight, methane ice transforms to reactive gaseous particles that eventually fuse into larger aerosol molecules such as acetylene, ethylene and ethane. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

It’s loaded with methane and ethane and all sorts of raw petroleum compounds. —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

The wet gas comprises chemicals such as butane, ethane, methane, and propane, all of which can serve as the foundation for finished goods. —Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024

The combination of the slow wind speeds on Titan—a product of the moon’s thick nitrogen atmosphere—and the density and viscosity of methane and ethane mean that the average wave height would only be a few inches. —Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 20 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from ethyl

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ethane

noun

eth·​ane ˈeth-ˌān 

: a colorless odorless gas that consists of carbon and hydrogen, is found in natural gas, and is used especially as a fuel

Medical Definition

ethane

noun

eth·​ane

ˈeth-ˌān, British ˈē-ˌthān

: a colorless odorless gaseous alkane C₂H₆ found in natural gas and used especially as a fuel