# ether

/ˈiθɝ/ (US) · /ˈiːθɐ/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ether
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

a clear liquid that was used in the past to make people sleep before surgery. It can also refer to the air or the sky in a poetic way.

For teachers: an organic compound formerly used as a general anaesthetic; also refers to the upper regions of space or the clear sky in literary contexts.

## Examples

- The doctor used ether to put the patient to sleep.
- Before modern medicine, surgeons relied on ether to ensure patients remained unconscious during painful procedures.
- The poet described the stars as distant diamonds suspended in the cold, silent ether of the midnight sky.

## Usage notes

- Uncountable when referring to the chemical substance or the literary sky; countable when referring to specific chemical derivatives in chemistry.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.