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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This activity likely took the form of outgassing jets—as the comet approached the sun, the star’s heat would have caused frozen ices to become gas. Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026 Jewitt thinks that outgassing from the surface of the comet, which heated up during its perihelion passage that brings it about as close to the sun as Earth, is the cause. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2026 Like most comets, 3I/ATLAS does experience slight non-gravitational forces caused by outgassing — when sunlight heats the comet’s surface, jets of gas and dust can push it gently. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025 Even if a harvester can outgas regolith reliably, separating minute traces of helium-3 from helium-4 and other gases at low mass fractions requires sophisticated cryogenic or membrane systems. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025 And why don’t all outgassing objects that emit carbon dioxide also show signatures of water? Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 26 Aug. 2025 Natural carbon dioxide comes from outgassing from the ocean, decomposing plants, wildfires and volcanoes. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 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

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

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Cite this Entry

“Outgas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outgas. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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