noun
a colorless volatile highly inflammable liquid formerly used as an inhalation anesthetic
• Syn: ↑ether, ↑ethoxyethane, ↑divinyl ether, ↑diethyl ether, ↑ethyl ether
• Derivationally related forms: ↑ethereal (for: ↑ether), ↑etherize (for: ↑ether), ↑etherify (for: ↑ether)
• Hypernyms: ↑inhalation anesthetic, ↑inhalation anaesthetic, ↑inhalation general anesthetic, ↑inhalation general anaesthetic
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noun1. : a volatile flammable liquid unsaturated ether (CH2 . CH)2O that is made by removal of hydrogen and chlorine from dichloroethyl ether, that polymerizes on standing unless protected by an antioxidant, and that is used as an inhalation anesthetic for short operative procedures
2. : an ether in which one of the radicals united to oxygen is vinyl
polymers of vinyl ethers
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Pharm.
a colorless, flammable, slightly water-soluble liquid, C4H6O, used as an inhalation anesthetic. Also called divinyl ether.
[1935-40]
Useful english dictionary. 2012.