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

And this is- for 17 years, Democrat policies have been attack hydrocarbons, get as many refineries and coal plants closed. — CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026

Rodríguez has said the government has signed about 50 investment agreements covering more than 76 hydrocarbon-producing areas. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026

Waste plastic could provide another source of hydrocarbons for fuel production, particularly as governments and industry look for ways to deal with both plastic waste and aviation emissions. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

This is most obviously true for more oil-dependent states, such as Iraq, which will struggle to pay its substantial public wage bill without hydrocarbon earnings. — Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 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
• radiocarbon

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