methane

noun

meth·​ane ˈme-ˌthān How to pronounce methane (audio)
 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The spacecraft's propulsion system, based on liquid oxygen and methane, and designed in-house, worked beautifully. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2025 There’s also a climate benefit from composting, which can reduce damaging methane emissions from food rotting in landfills. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025 Dairy cows contribute more than 10 percent of US methane emissions, a super-potent greenhouse gas, and their land use, while not nearly as great as that of beef farming, is still high, occupying land that could otherwise be freed up for carbon-sequestering ecosystems. Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 6 Mar. 2025 The Danish Air Force dispatched an F-16 interceptor, which captured images of what was unmistakably a huge gas leak: escaping methane had turned the water’s surface into a bubbling froth. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for methane

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of methane was in 1867

Cite this Entry

“Methane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/methane. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

methane

noun
meth·​ane ˈmeth-ˌān How to pronounce methane (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on methane

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