: a colorless odorless gaseous alkane C2H6 found in natural gas and used as a fuel
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With rivers, lakes and even seas made of liquid methane and ethane, plus a hidden underground ocean of water, Saturn's moon Titan has long fascinated scientists as a place where alien life might exist.
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Victoria Corless, Space.com, 15 Apr. 2025
In addition to liquid oil, the pyrolysis process generates natural gases, such as methane, ethane, butane and propane.
—Alexander Kaplitz, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2025
To figure out if enough methane and ethane escaped from these objects to no longer show up in their surface spectra, the scientists needed to estimate how much of these chemicals were originally trapped inside.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Candidates ranged from the liquid forms of methane and ethane, ammonia and carbon dioxide to even stranger possibilities like pitch and molten rock.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2025
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Victoria Corless, Space.com, 15 Apr. 2025
In addition to liquid oil, the pyrolysis process generates natural gases, such as methane, ethane, butane and propane.
—Alexander Kaplitz, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2025
To figure out if enough methane and ethane escaped from these objects to no longer show up in their surface spectra, the scientists needed to estimate how much of these chemicals were originally trapped inside.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Candidates ranged from the liquid forms of methane and ethane, ammonia and carbon dioxide to even stranger possibilities like pitch and molten rock.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ethane
Cite this Entry
“Ethane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethane. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ethane
noun
eth·ane
ˈeth-ˌān 
: a colorless odorless gas that consists of carbon and hydrogen, is found in natural gas, and is used especially as a fuel
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