: 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
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But shallow liquid methane is largely transparent in Cassini's SAR data.
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Julian Dossett, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
On Titan's surface are complex organic compounds formed from methane and nitrogen in the moon's atmosphere.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
The Webb telescope found carbon-bearing molecules, including methane and carbon dioxide, in September 2023.
—George Petras, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
The latest findings build on previous research by the same group of astronomers, who also detected carbon dioxide and methane within the planet’s atmosphere using Webb’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph and Near-Infrared Spectrograph instruments.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
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Julian Dossett, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
On Titan's surface are complex organic compounds formed from methane and nitrogen in the moon's atmosphere.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
The Webb telescope found carbon-bearing molecules, including methane and carbon dioxide, in September 2023.
—George Petras, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
The latest findings build on previous research by the same group of astronomers, who also detected carbon dioxide and methane within the planet’s atmosphere using Webb’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph and Near-Infrared Spectrograph instruments.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for methane
Cite this Entry
“Methane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/methane. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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