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.
Today, there are a number of companies that specialize in thermal degradation depolymerization methods to convert plastic into liquid hydrocarbons – gasoline, synthetic diesel, kerosene, and oil. New Atlas, 23 June 2025 These use cases are enabled by oil and gas fields’ digital twins, which use AI/ML/hybrid intelligence models and real-time Internet of Things data streams from the field, coupled with petro-technical models for hydrocarbon production and petro-technical workflow automation. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 The blowout, which lasted five days, sent about 20,000 barrels of water and 5,000 barrels of hydrocarbons into the air, according to data about the incident. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 12 June 2025 The new brown dwarfs also exhibit signals from an unidentified hydrocarbon, a chemical compound composed solely of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 June 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 7 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

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