gas

1 of 3

noun

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 gasH. 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.

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
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.
Noun
Raising tariffs to just 10% could bump gas prices by as much as 5%, experts at BCA Research told Politico in October. Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 Tariffs could also raise the cost of home heating oil, as well as gas prices in the U.S., according to Clausing. China China ranks third among the U.S.’s main trading partners. Chantelle Lee, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
The team’s stars, many of whom had played in the prior Super Bowl matchup, were gassed. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2024 The court has shown little appetite for pursuing charges against regimes like Bashar al-Assad's in Syria, where civilians were gassed, or against figures in Iran's leadership, despite their violent crackdowns on protesters and criminal regional proxy wars. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gas 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of gas was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near gas

Cite this Entry

“Gas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gas. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

gas

1 of 2 noun
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
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
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
2
gender-affirming surgery; gender affirmation surgery

More from Merriam-Webster on gas

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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