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
Cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are chemicals that result from burning tobacco, coal, oil, gas, wood and garbage that are damaging to DNA.
—
Akshay Syal, M.d., NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023
Climate-warming hydrocarbons still supply more than 80% of the world’s energy, even after the trillions of dollars spent in the green transition of the past 20 years, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency told the U.N. General Assembly.
—Edith M. Lederer, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
This constant heating and cooling causes methane ice to sublimate, lifting a hydrocarbon haze into Pluto’s atmosphere.
—Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023
For instance, the process to transform a hydrocarbon into a base chemical—used to make a drug’s active pharmaceutical ingredient—requires temperatures as high as 850 degrees Celsius (1,562 degrees Fahrenheit) and large amounts of electricity, the task force explained in a paper.
—Cecilia Butini, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2023
The beetles also collect hydrocarbons from the ants’ cuticle in order to smear themselves with the chemical signature specific to each ant nest.
—Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2023
Where today’s world runs on hydrocarbons, tomorrow’s may very well rely on the element for an expanding offering of lithium-ion batteries.
—Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 30 Aug. 2023
Capacity constraints will also limit Russian hydrocarbon exports to China.
—Foreign Affairs, 28 Apr. 2023
The damage allowed hydrocarbon fumes to vent from the storage tanks, contrary to Clean Air Act requirements, regulators said at the time.
—Yereth Rosen, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2023
See More
Akshay Syal, M.d., NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023
Climate-warming hydrocarbons still supply more than 80% of the world’s energy, even after the trillions of dollars spent in the green transition of the past 20 years, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency told the U.N. General Assembly.
—Edith M. Lederer, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
This constant heating and cooling causes methane ice to sublimate, lifting a hydrocarbon haze into Pluto’s atmosphere.
—Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023
For instance, the process to transform a hydrocarbon into a base chemical—used to make a drug’s active pharmaceutical ingredient—requires temperatures as high as 850 degrees Celsius (1,562 degrees Fahrenheit) and large amounts of electricity, the task force explained in a paper.
—Cecilia Butini, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2023
The beetles also collect hydrocarbons from the ants’ cuticle in order to smear themselves with the chemical signature specific to each ant nest.
—Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2023
Where today’s world runs on hydrocarbons, tomorrow’s may very well rely on the element for an expanding offering of lithium-ion batteries.
—Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 30 Aug. 2023
Capacity constraints will also limit Russian hydrocarbon exports to China.
—Foreign Affairs, 28 Apr. 2023
The damage allowed hydrocarbon fumes to vent from the storage tanks, contrary to Clean Air Act requirements, regulators said at the time.
—Yereth Rosen, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hydrocarbon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1826, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing hydrocarbon
Dictionary Entries Near hydrocarbon
Cite this Entry
“Hydrocarbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrocarbon. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
hydrocarbon
noun
hy·dro·car·bon
ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən
: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen
More from Merriam-Webster on hydrocarbon
Nglish: Translation of hydrocarbon for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hydrocarbon
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