See Also: captious(dictionary)

ether (iou) and captious (iou)


ether (iou)



ether noun1. In senses 1-3 also (arch.) aether. LME.
[Old French ether or Latin aether from Greek aither upper air, from base of aithein kindle, burn, shine.]
Hist. A substance formerly believed to occupy space beyond the sphere of the moon and to compose the stars and planets. LME.
The clear sky; the region above the clouds; the substance formerly believed to occupy this, above the air of the lower region. Now literary. L16.
A. Uttley Her voice floated..through the silvery atoms of air and the mysterious ether to the great moon.
b. Air. E18.
A very rarefied and highly elastic substance formerly believed to permeate all space, including the interstices between the particles of matter, and to be the medium whose vibrations constituted light (and Radio waves); the notional medium of Radio transmission; the ether (colloq.), Radio as a medium or Art form. M17.
J. S. Huxley A..request I made over the ether.
b. Any hypothetical very rarefied fluid. L17-L18.
Chemistry.
a. A pleasant-smelling colourless volatile liquid, (CH3CH2)2O, made by the action of sulphuric acid on ethanol and used as a solvent, intermediate, and anaesthetic. M18.
b. A compound formed by the action of any Other acid on ethanol. L18-M19.
c. Any organic compound of the type ROR', where R, R' are alkyl, aryl, etc., groups. Formerly also (more fully compound ether) = ESTER. M19.
diethyl ether = sense 4a above.
etherate noun (Chemistry) any compound whose molecule contains an ether molecule, esp. (C2H5)2O E20.

captious (iou)



captious adjective. LME.
[Old & mod. French captieux or Latin captiosus, from captio(n-): see CAPTION, -OUS.]
Fond of taking exception or raising objections; carping. LME.
Apt or intended to deceive; fallacious, misleading. arch. LME.
Capacious. rare (Shakes.). Only in E17.
captiously adverb M16.
captiousness noun M16.