outgas

verb

out·​gas ˈau̇t-ˌgas How to pronounce outgas (audio)
ˌau̇t-ˈgas
outgassed; outgassing; outgasses

transitive verb

1
: to remove occluded gases from usually by heating
broadly : to remove gases from
2
: to remove (gases) from a material or a space

intransitive verb

: to lose gases

Examples of outgas in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Natural carbon dioxide comes from outgassing from the ocean, decomposing plants, wildfires and volcanoes. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2023 An outgassing comet should be enveloped by a distinctive feature called a coma, a bright-but-fuzzy halo of light-scattering dust carried away by the outgassing. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Mar. 2023 Meanwhile the ice held on to the dust astronomers otherwise would have seen from the outgassing. Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 Apr. 2023 Now, in a new study published Wednesday, the odd orbit of 'Oumuamua, can be explained by a simple physical mechanism that's likely common among many icy comets: outgassing of hydrogen as the comet warmed up in the sunlight. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2023 Many have been discussed, and many are plausible, including changes in CO2 outgassing from the ocean due to changes in sea ice, changes in iron input to the ocean that influence CO2 uptake by phytoplankton, and large-scale ocean circulation changes that cause release of CO2 to the atmosphere. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 Loeb concluded that outgassing could not have caused 'Oumuamua's acceleration. Rob Reid, Ars Technica, 29 Nov. 2018 The only other possibility is that the vinyl from the car’s dashboard and interior parts is outgassing. Ray Magliozzi, The Seattle Times, 29 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outgas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outgas was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near outgas

Cite this Entry

“Outgas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outgas. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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