The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
ETHER
Definition of ETHER
noun
The substance formerly supposed to fill the upper regions of the atmosphere above the clouds, in particular as a medium breathed by deities. The medium breathed by human beings; the air. The sky, the heavens; the void, nothingness.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
From Middle English ēther (“the caelum aetherum of ancient cosmology in which the planets orbit; a shining, fluid substance described as a form of air or fire; air”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman ether and Middle French ether, ethere, aether, from Old French aether (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; medium supposedly filling the upper regions of space”) (modern French éther), or directly from its etymon Latin aethēr (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; air; heavens, sky; light of day; ethereal matter surrounding a deity”) (note also New Latin aethēr (“chemical compound analogous to diethyl ether”)), from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “purer upper air of the atmosphere; heaven, sky; theoretical medium supposed to fill unoccupied space and transmit heat and light”), from αἴθω (aíthō, “to burn, ignite; to blaze, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ- (“to burn; fire”). The English word is cognate with Italian ether, ethera (both obsolete), etere, Middle Dutch ether (modern Dutch aether (obsolete), ether), German Äther, Ether, Portuguese éter, Spanish éter.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
ETHER in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 33 boards so far. 46 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 18, 7 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 102, 30 August 2026. It was on the latest finished board.
First ever to find it
on Day 18, 7 June 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
ETHER starts with E and ends with R. Sorted, its letters read EEHRT - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. E appears more than once.
Same letters, different word
2 other words use exactly these letters. Worth knowing at the board: an anagram fits a grid the same way.
Words that start ETHER
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 18
Could you have found ETHER?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 18 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER