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

Through this process, a bio-oil rich in hydrocarbons was extracted by heating the material in the absence of oxygen. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Apr. 2026

Shangri-La’s sand dunes aren’t silicates like on Earth, though, but likely grains of frozen hydrocarbons. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026

Oil and gas structures The region’s bent and fractured rock layers, and its domes, are well suited for trapping hydrocarbons. —Scott L. Montgomery, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026

In some parts of the Gulf, hydrocarbons gush directly out of the seafloor. —Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 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