ether vs fancy

ether

noun
  • A particular quality created by or surrounding an object, person, or place; an atmosphere, an aura. 

  • The sky, the heavens; the void, nothingness. 

  • Starting fluid. 

  • Diethyl ether (C₄H₁₀O), an organic compound with a sweet odour used in the past as an anaesthetic. 

  • The medium breathed by human beings; the air. 

  • Any of a class of organic compounds containing an oxygen atom bonded to two hydrocarbon groups. 

  • The atmosphere or space as a medium for broadcasting radio and television signals; also, a notional space through which Internet and other digital communications take place; cyberspace. 

  • Often as aether and more fully as luminiferous aether: a substance once thought to fill all unoccupied space that allowed electromagnetic waves to pass through it and interact with matter, without exerting any resistance to matter or energy; its existence was disproved by the 1887 Michelson–Morley experiment and the theory of relativity propounded by Albert Einstein (1879–1955). 

verb
  • To viciously humiliate or insult. 

fancy

noun
  • An image or representation of anything formed in the mind. 

  • A diamond with a distinctive colour. 

  • The object of inclination or liking. 

  • In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies). 

  • A whim. 

  • The imagination. 

  • A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing. 

  • Love or amorous attachment. 

  • The enthusiasts of such a pursuit. 

  • That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value. 

  • Any sport or hobby pursued by a group. 

  • An opinion or notion formed without much reflection. 

verb
  • To appreciate without jealousy or greed. 

  • To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners. 

  • would like 

  • To form a conception of; to portray in the mind. 

  • To breed (animals) as a hobby. 

  • To be sexually attracted to. 

  • To imagine, suppose. 

adj
  • Of a superior grade. 

  • Unnecessarily complicated. 

  • Executed with skill. 

  • Decorative, or featuring decorations, especially intricate or diverse ones. 

adv
  • In a fancy manner; fancily. 

How often have the words ether and fancy occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )