Of or relating to an ether; having the properties or characteristics of an ether compound.
From ether plus -al suffix. Ether comes from Greek aither meaning 'upper air' or 'pure sky,' but in chemistry refers to organic compounds with an oxygen atom bonded to two alkyl groups.
Ether was used as anesthesia in surgery because it dissolves so well in nerve tissues—understanding ethal compounds literally changed medicine by making painless surgery possible for the first time.
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