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

According to Wood Mackenzie, just 25 hydrocarbon exploration wells have even been drilled in Greenland—all of them unsuccessful. —Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

According to Skyeton, the hydrogen variant of the Raybird has been modified to accommodate the new fuel system and to provide enough room and distribute weight for the hydrogen tanks, which are larger than their hydrocarbon fuel equivalents for internal combustion engines. —New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2026

The pivot comes as oil and gas majors double down on hydrocarbons and scale back green energy investments as part of a push to boost profit. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026

But soon after the conversion, the city was forced to close the park when polyaromatic hydrocarbons, commonly known as lampblack, were found in the soil. —Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 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

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