natural gas

noun

1
: gas issuing from the earth's crust through natural openings or bored wells
especially : a combustible mixture of methane and other hydrocarbons used chiefly as a fuel and raw material
2
: gas manufactured from organic matter (such as coal)

Examples of natural gas in a Sentence

a house heated by natural gas
Recent Examples on the Web Another 49% of the area’s power comes from natural gas. Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 The unique setup was to include four electric motors and two turbines that ran on either natural gas, diesel, or biofuels to keep the vehicle’s battery charged. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 In addition, as part of a national trend, some data center operators here are inking deals to procure electricity directly from third parties using wind, solar, battery storage, natural gas and other power sources. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 China buys plenty of U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG), through long-term contracts with major suppliers as well as purchases on the spot market. Mary Hui, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Many factors contribute to the skyrocketing costs in Germany for electricity and natural gas: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resultant sanctions, as well as the destruction of Nord Stream pipelines, for example. Jim Vinoski, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 That leaves them at the mercy of the grid they’re connected to and whatever the day’s mix of natural gas, nuclear and renewable power generation is given the lack of transmission lines between regions. Naureen S. Malik, Fortune, 25 Feb. 2024 Activists push companies for more aggressive climate strategies The shareholder proposal from Arjuna and Follow This called for ExxonMobil to cut emissions faster from its own operations and from its supply chain, including the pollution that's created when customers burn its oil and natural gas. Michael Copley, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 The last piece of the puzzle is about 10 Gt that comes via methane reduction from natural gas leaks in wellheads, pipelines, storage tanks, and refinery facilities. Ian Palmer, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'natural gas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of natural gas was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near natural gas

Cite this Entry

“Natural gas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20gas. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

natural gas

noun
: gas that comes from the earth's crust through natural openings or bored wells
especially : a flammable mixture of hydrocarbons and especially methane used chiefly as a fuel and raw material

More from Merriam-Webster on natural gas

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