aether

[ ee-ther ]

noun

1. ether ( defs 3, 4, 5 ).
2. Aether, the ancient Greek personification of the clear upper air of the sky.

aether

/ ˈiːθə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of ether ether ether

Other Words From

• ae·the·re·al [ih-, theer, -ee-, uh, l], ae·ther·ic [ih-, ther, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of aether¹

First recorded in 1570–80, replacing earlier ether

Example Sentences

Aristotle, for example, thought that heavenly bodies were made of a theoretical form of matter called aether and naturally moved in circles.

From Scientific American

Until the experiment was performed in 1887, scientists believed that light waves propagate through a medium that scientists called the luminiferous aether.

From Scientific American

One day we may discover that some of our most cherished forms of knowledge are as obsolete as epicycles, phlogiston, caloric, the electromagnetic aether and, indeed, Newtonian physics.

From Literature

They call this a quintessence field, after the fifth element, or aether—the name that ancient Greek philosophers gave to an invisible material thought to fill all the empty space in the Universe.

From Scientific American

In its place, Lunenfeld overworks a flimsy metaphor, tenuously mapping the alchemical elements of earth, air, fire, water and aether onto his 11 chapters.

From New York Times