propane

noun

pro·​pane ˈprō-ˌpān How to pronounce propane (audio)
: a heavy flammable gaseous alkane C3H8 found in crude petroleum and natural gas and used especially as fuel and in chemical synthesis

Examples of propane 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.
The man specifically targeted gas stations staffed by a single clerk, who his accomplice would lure away from the counter by asking about buying propane tanks, saying a credit card was stuck in a gas pump or spilling gasoline, prosecutors said. Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Turning into the gravel driveway off Statesville Boulevard is a large, hard-to-miss propane tank that acts as a billboard with the company name painted on the side. Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2025 Bode and then an arriving Manny were left to deal with the gas station fire — including the fact that a teenage girl was trapped inside, and the discovery of a rack of propane tanks in the line of fire — until Vince, Jake, and Eve with Three Rock rolled up. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 25 Apr. 2025 The rocket's nine engines, burning a mix of liquid propane and liquid oxygen, throttled up to generate more than 150,000 pounds (675 kilonewtons) of thrust as Spectrum began a vertical climb from the launch pad. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for propane

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary prop- + -ane

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of propane was in 1867

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Propane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propane. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

propane

noun
pro·​pane ˈprō-ˌpān How to pronounce propane (audio)
: a heavy flammable gas found in crude petroleum and natural gas and used especially as fuel and in the chemical industry

Medical Definition

propane

noun
pro·​pane ˈprō-ˌpān How to pronounce propane (audio)
: a heavy flammable gaseous alkane C3H8 found in crude petroleum and natural gas and used especially as fuel and in chemical synthesis

More from Merriam-Webster on propane

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