n.
Pronunciation: ' me- ˌ th ā n, Brit usu ' m ē -
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary
Date: 1867
: a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon CH 4 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