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

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

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