n.
Pronunciation: ' ē -th ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin aether, from Greek aith ē r, from aithein to ignite, blaze; akin to Old English ā d pyre ― more at EDIFY
Date: 14th century
1 a : the rarefied element formerly believed to fill the upper regions of space b : the upper regions of space : HEAVENS
2 a also ae · ther : a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves b : AIRWAVES
3 a : a light volatile flammable liquid C 4 H 10 O used chiefly as a solvent and especially formerly as an anesthetic b : any of a class of organic compounds characterized by an oxygen atom attached to two carbon atoms
– ethe · ric \ i- ' ther-ik, - ' thir- \ adjective