gas

1 of 3

noun

ˈgas 

plural gases also gasses

1

: a fluid (such as air) that has neither independent shape nor volume but tends to expand indefinitely

2

a

: a combustible gas or gaseous mixture for fuel or lighting

especially : natural gas

b

: a gaseous product of digestion

also : discomfort from this

c

: a gas or gaseous mixture used to produce anesthesia

d

: a substance that can be used to produce a poisonous, suffocating, or physically irritating atmosphere

3

: empty talk : bombast

His talk about quitting his job was all gas.

4

: gasoline

also : the accelerator pedal of an automotive vehicle

5

: driving force : energy

I was young, and full of gas

—H. L. Mencken

ran out of gas in the seventh inning

6

slang : something that gives pleasure : delight

the party was a gas

7

baseball, informal : fast and powerfully thrown pitches : smoke sense 8

That's Nate on the mound in the glossy photo in his dad's office, throwing gas in some Little League game.

—Austin Murphy

gas

2 of 3

verb

gassed; gassing

intransitive verb

1

: to talk idly or garrulously

2

: to give off gas (see gas entry 1 sense 1)

3

: to fill the tank (as of an automobile) with gasoline

—usually used with up

transitive verb

1

: to supply with gas or especially gasoline

gas up the car

2

a

: to treat chemically with gas

b

: to poison or otherwise affect adversely with gas

3

slang : to please greatly

GAS

3 of 3

abbreviation

gender-affirming surgery; gender affirmation surgery

Gender-affirming surgery (GAS), which refers to any surgical procedure that modifies an individual's body in accordance with their gender identity and expression, is sought after by some transgender and gender nonbinary individuals.

—Alexandra Terris-Feldman et al.

Currently, there are many treatment options for gender dysphoria, including hormone treatment, … psychotherapy, and GAS.

—Hadal El-Hadi et al.

Synonyms

Noun

• rhetoric
• rhodomontade
• hot air
• gasconade
• rodomontade
• bull [slang]

Verb

• chat
• talk
• converse
• rattle
• blow smoke

Examples of gas in a Sentence

Noun

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas.

We heat our house with gas.

Do you have a gas stove or an electric one?

The car gets good gas mileage.

The car almost ran out of gas.

He was driving with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake.

Verb

soldiers gassed on the battlefield

We stopped to gas the car.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Buc-ee’s has pitched building 120 gas pumps and 12 charging stations for electric vehicles on the property. —Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2025

Iran approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas route. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 26 June 2025

Verb

Most expected that a Pacers’ victory template would include their full-court pace and pressure gassing the mighty Thunder, but Oklahoma City’s wayward 2-point shooting is an unforeseen complication. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 June 2025

Yet, Edwards has looked gassed since the second half of Game 4. —The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin, alteration of Latin chaos space, chaos

Verb

derivative of gas entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1849, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing gas

• bottled gas
• carbonic acid gas
• coal gas
• electron gas
• gas chamber
• gas chromatograph
• gas chromatography
• gas fitter
• gas gangrene
• gas-guzzler
• gas-liquid chromatography
• gas log
• gas mask
• gas oil
• gas-operated
• gas pedal
• gas plant
• gas ring
• gas station
• gas turbine
• greenhouse gas
• hit the gas
• inert gas
• laughing gas
• liquefied petroleum gas
• marsh gas
• mustard gas
• natural gas
• nerve gas
• noble gas
• off-gas
• poison gas
• producer gas
• run out of gas
• step on the gas
• synthesis gas
• tear gas
• the gas
• water gas
• white gas

Rhymes for gas

• ass
• bass
• bras
• brass
• casse
• chasse
• class
• crass
• das
• dass
• frass
• lass

Kids Definition

gas

1 of 2 noun

ˈgas 

plural gases also gasses

1

: a fluid (as hydrogen or air) that has no fixed shape and tends to expand without limit

2

a

: a gas or mixture of gases used as a fuel or as an anesthetic

b

: a gaseous product of digestion

c

: a fluid substance (as tear gas) that can be used to produce a poisonous or suffocating atmosphere

3

: unimportant talk : bombast

4

: gasoline

5

slang : something appealing or enjoyable

the party was a gas

gas

2 of 2 verb

gassed; gassing

1

: to supply with gas

gas up the car

2

a

: to treat with gas

b

: to poison with gas

3

: to talk idly

Medical Definition

gas

1 of 3 noun

ˈgas 

plural gases also gasses

1

: a fluid (as air) that has neither independent shape nor volume but tends to expand indefinitely

2

: a gaseous product of digestion

also : discomfort from this

3

: a gas or gaseous mixture used to produce anesthesia

4

: a substance that can be used to produce a poisonous, asphyxiating, or irritant atmosphere

gas

2 of 3 transitive verb

gassed; gassing

1

: to treat chemically with gas

2

: to poison or otherwise affect adversely with gas

GAS

3 of 3 abbreviation

1

general adaptation syndrome

2

gender-affirming surgery; gender affirmation surgery