methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈme-ˌthān 

 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

Aiming to cut methane emissions from the United States, President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday finalized a methane fee for big oil and gas producers. —Reuters, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024

There's so much food releasing methane in landfills around the world, the total emissions impact is more than that of any individual country, except the U.S. and China. —London Gibson, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024

Nearer-term, policies like the IRA's methane fee can affect production decisions, Sommers said. —Ben Geman, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024

Germain believes the company will need 20 satellites total to track daily methane and CO2 spikes, with potential clients including oil and gas companies looking to mitigate emissions. —Chris Stokel-Walker, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈmeth-ˌān 

: 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