Ether

Ether, means a class of organic compounds in which an oxygen atom is interposed between two carbon atoms (organic groups) in the molecular structure giving the generic formula ROR. They may be derived from alcohols by elimination of water, but the major method is catalytic hydration of olefins. Only the lowest member of the series, methyl ether, is gaseous; most are liquid and the highest members are solid (cellulose ethers). The term 'ether' is often used synonymously with 'ethyl ether' and is the legal label name for it, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 11th Edn.