hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon ˈhī-drō-ˌkär-bən How to pronounce hydrocarbon (audio)
: 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
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.
Petroleum is a soup of different hydrocarbons, organic compounds made of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Ian Rose, JSTOR Daily, 23 July 2025 Condensates are processed hydrocarbon liquids from natural gas production primarily used to make fuels like gasoline or to make transporting heavy crude easier. Medora Lee, USA Today, 24 June 2025 That city already endured a fire at the Martinez Reining Company in February that released 7,000 gallons of hydrocarbon materials into the air and required medical treatment for six workers. Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 5 May 2025 The process is engineered around the high energy requirements of methane cracking, which serves as a proxy for achieving full conversion of less stable hydrocarbons. David Blekhman, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hydrocarbon

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrocarbon was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hydrocarbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrocarbon. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

hydrocarbon

noun
hy·​dro·​car·​bon ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən How to pronounce hydrocarbon (audio)
: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen

Medical Definition

hydrocarbon

noun
hy·​dro·​car·​bon -ˈkär-bən How to pronounce hydrocarbon (audio)
: an organic compound (as acetylene, benzene, or butane) containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas, coal, and bitumens

More from Merriam-Webster on hydrocarbon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!