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
Saudi Arabia’s massive building spree, and its huge investments, depend on Aramco finding top-dollar value for its hydrocarbons.
—
Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
More advanced methods include CO2 or hydrocarbon extraction, with the former as the most popular method in the industry.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Finally, a key economic change is the sharp cuts in European purchases of Russian hydrocarbons (oil, gas, and coal), with a shift to buyers like China and India for Russian oil exports.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Gasoline is lighter than diesel and consists of hydrocarbons primarily in the range from four carbons (e.g., butane) up through hydrocarbons with around 12 carbons.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Read More: Sponge-Like Snow Could Explain Titan's Magic Islands
Due to its low gravity, radiation-shielding atmosphere, and abundance of hydrocarbon fuels, some astronomers have proposed Titan as a long-term goal for colonization.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
The report also finds that while oil demand will peak before the end of this decade and gas demand around a decade later, the following transition from hydrocarbons will be gradual, primarily due to the slow pace at which oil-and-gas-consuming technologies will be replaced.
—Andrea Guerzoni, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
Putin and his puppets fixate on the hydrocarbon economy — the money-making machine that is fueling its war against Ukraine and paying for its social obligations.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
But burning fewer hydrocarbons has become anathema to the modern Republican Party, and former President Donald Trump's administration focused some of its attention on undermining the EPA's ability to regulate tailpipe emissions or cut gasoline dependence.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 7 Dec. 2023
Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
More advanced methods include CO2 or hydrocarbon extraction, with the former as the most popular method in the industry.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Finally, a key economic change is the sharp cuts in European purchases of Russian hydrocarbons (oil, gas, and coal), with a shift to buyers like China and India for Russian oil exports.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Gasoline is lighter than diesel and consists of hydrocarbons primarily in the range from four carbons (e.g., butane) up through hydrocarbons with around 12 carbons.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Read More: Sponge-Like Snow Could Explain Titan's Magic Islands
Due to its low gravity, radiation-shielding atmosphere, and abundance of hydrocarbon fuels, some astronomers have proposed Titan as a long-term goal for colonization.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
The report also finds that while oil demand will peak before the end of this decade and gas demand around a decade later, the following transition from hydrocarbons will be gradual, primarily due to the slow pace at which oil-and-gas-consuming technologies will be replaced.
—Andrea Guerzoni, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
Putin and his puppets fixate on the hydrocarbon economy — the money-making machine that is fueling its war against Ukraine and paying for its social obligations.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
But burning fewer hydrocarbons has become anathema to the modern Republican Party, and former President Donald Trump's administration focused some of its attention on undermining the EPA's ability to regulate tailpipe emissions or cut gasoline dependence.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 7 Dec. 2023
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.
Dictionary Entries Near hydrocarbon
Cite this Entry
“Hydrocarbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrocarbon. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hydrocarbon
noun
hy·dro·car·bon
ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən
: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen
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