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 methane leaks appear to occur in areas of the ocean that experience seepage of fluids rich in hydrocarbons, according to the paper. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2025

These compounds also work by stimulating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which boosts Treg numbers and activity. —Mitzi Nagarkatti, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025

German scientists in the 1920s used heat and pressure to turn gas into liquid or solid hydrocarbons, and a chemist at Sunoco injected oxygen into those solids to create edible fats in the 1930s. —Megan Sauer, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025

It’s been more than a decade since NASA’s Curiosity rover first detected chlorinated hydrocarbons on Mars. —Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025

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

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