greenhouse gas

noun

: any of various gaseous compounds (such as carbon dioxide or methane) that absorb infrared radiation, trap heat in the atmosphere, and contribute to the greenhouse effect

Water vapor is an important gas for the study of climate and weather because of its role as a natural greenhouse gas as well as its relationship to clouds and precipitation.

—Mohi Kumar

Scientists now recognize tropospheric ozone—a component of smog—as a greenhouse gas as well as an eye and lung irritant.

—Science News

While it may not be possible to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions, it is possible to offset some of the emissions that do still occur. Offsetting involves supporting projects that reduce or sequester greenhouse gas emissions in another location.

—Tyson Miller

Livestock emit 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions each year. Most of that is from cows.

—Marley Walker

Examples of greenhouse gas in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Another shortcoming of the lawsuit campaign is the presumption that the United States contributes the most to carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and, thus, should shoulder the burden of mitigation. —Dan Ikenson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Driving the news: The world needs a massive course correction on greenhouse gas emissions and climate finance to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, which recent reports have warned are slipping away. —Andrew Freedman, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

More important to Starbucks, however, is milk’s greenhouse gas emissions, which comprise more than one-fifth of the company’s global carbon footprint. —Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 2 Nov. 2024

Offsetting the greenhouse gases produced by human activities by 2070 will require an investment of about $75 trillion, Goldman wrote. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

greenhouse gas

noun

: any of various gases (as carbon dioxide or methane) that absorb infrared radiation, trap heat in the atmosphere, and contribute to the greenhouse effect