hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon ˈhī-drō-ˌkär-bən 

: an organic compound (such as acetylene or butane) containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas, coal, and bitumens

Examples of hydrocarbon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Polymers of Locked Intrinsic Microporosity (PLIMs) are ultrathin membranes that can filter out complex hydrocarbon mixtures at a microscopic level without needing a heat source. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026

From a financial standpoint, leaning back into the hydrocarbon infrastructure in the Strait of Hormuz is a rational and, in part, unavoidable, step. —Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

At Washington’s insistence, Rodríguez’s government passed a new hydrocarbon law, which gives private companies greater autonomy to operate oil fields and sell the crude. —Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 17 June 2026

The Persian Gulf is not merely a conduit for hydrocarbons. —John W.h. Denton Ao, Fortune, 6 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hydrocarbon

• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
• polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon

Rhymes for hydrocarbon

• fluorocarbon
• carbon
• radiocarbon

Kids Definition

hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən 

: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen

Medical Definition

hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon -ˈkär-bən 

: an organic compound (as acetylene, benzene, or butane) containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas, coal, and bitumens