methane
Americannoun
-
methanes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of methane
Explanation
Methane, a colorless, odorless gas that occurs naturally on Earth, is a component in natural gas. It's also one of the major contributors to climate change. Methane is highly flammable, and it comprises as much as 90 percent of the natural gas that's commonly used for heating, cooking, and generating electricity. Although the release of methane into the atmosphere is a natural process, too much of it contributes to the greenhouse effect, trapping heat in the atmosphere and warming the planet. Methane was discovered by an Italian scientist in 1776, who collected the gas as it rose from a marsh.
Vocabulary lists containing methane
Global Climate Change - Introductory
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Earth Science - Middle School
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The Carbon Cycle
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yak boosters say the animals leave a lighter hoof-print on the land because they eat one-third to one-half of what cows eat and produce less methane gas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
While less polluting than coal, gas plants are still significant sources of planet-warming emissions, and their operations, particularly upstream, also leak methane, the main component of natural gas and itself a powerful greenhouse gas.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
And, similarly, in multiple proceedings, it ignored the benefits of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026
Other major sources include methane from livestock such as cattle, deforestation, industrial activity, and waste from sources including landfills.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
These are great worlds, composed largely of hydrogen and helium, with smaller amounts of hydrogen-rich gases such as methane, ammonia and water.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
