Flammable early anesthetic (5)

I believe the answer is:

ether

(Other definitions for ether that I've seen before include "Anaesthetic; clear sky (poetic)" , "What's clear" , "There goes the anaesthetic" , "Volatile organic liquid once used as a general anaesthetic" , "Formerly an anaesthetic" .)

I've seen this clue in The Wall Street Journal.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.