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
Gasoline is lighter than diesel and consists of hydrocarbons primarily in the range from four carbons (e.g., butane) up through hydrocarbons with around 12 carbons.
—
Robert Rapier, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Read More: Sponge-Like Snow Could Explain Titan's Magic Islands
Due to its low gravity, radiation-shielding atmosphere, and abundance of hydrocarbon fuels, some astronomers have proposed Titan as a long-term goal for colonization.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
The report also finds that while oil demand will peak before the end of this decade and gas demand around a decade later, the following transition from hydrocarbons will be gradual, primarily due to the slow pace at which oil-and-gas-consuming technologies will be replaced.
—Andrea Guerzoni, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
Putin and his puppets fixate on the hydrocarbon economy — the money-making machine that is fueling its war against Ukraine and paying for its social obligations.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
But burning fewer hydrocarbons has become anathema to the modern Republican Party, and former President Donald Trump's administration focused some of its attention on undermining the EPA's ability to regulate tailpipe emissions or cut gasoline dependence.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 7 Dec. 2023
When a neutron interacts with molecules that contain hydrogen, like water or hydrocarbons, the collisions slow the neutron down a little bit.
—WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023
The second generation of rats was exposed to a jet fuel hydrocarbon mixture.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 2 Feb. 2024
One of the great mysteries of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is the temporary smoothness of its hydrocarbon lakes in places, a state that sometimes last for days or weeks.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2024
Robert Rapier, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Read More: Sponge-Like Snow Could Explain Titan's Magic Islands
Due to its low gravity, radiation-shielding atmosphere, and abundance of hydrocarbon fuels, some astronomers have proposed Titan as a long-term goal for colonization.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
The report also finds that while oil demand will peak before the end of this decade and gas demand around a decade later, the following transition from hydrocarbons will be gradual, primarily due to the slow pace at which oil-and-gas-consuming technologies will be replaced.
—Andrea Guerzoni, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
Putin and his puppets fixate on the hydrocarbon economy — the money-making machine that is fueling its war against Ukraine and paying for its social obligations.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
But burning fewer hydrocarbons has become anathema to the modern Republican Party, and former President Donald Trump's administration focused some of its attention on undermining the EPA's ability to regulate tailpipe emissions or cut gasoline dependence.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 7 Dec. 2023
When a neutron interacts with molecules that contain hydrogen, like water or hydrocarbons, the collisions slow the neutron down a little bit.
—WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023
The second generation of rats was exposed to a jet fuel hydrocarbon mixture.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 2 Feb. 2024
One of the great mysteries of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is the temporary smoothness of its hydrocarbon lakes in places, a state that sometimes last for days or weeks.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hydrocarbon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hydrocarbon
Cite this Entry
“Hydrocarbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrocarbon. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hydrocarbon
noun
hy·dro·car·bon
ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən
: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen
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