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
The decrease in revenues was driven by lower hydrocarbon commodity prices and slightly lower throughput rates.
—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2025
In a trading update published last month, TotalEnergies said its fourth-quarter results would likely benefit from a slight increase in hydrocarbon production, stronger gas trading and a modest increase in refining margins.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025
Before that property at 3739 Marysville Boulevard was sold to the housing agency, an underground storage tank leak prompted the county to open a case over petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in 1999.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 22 Jan. 2025
In a paper published in Nature Communications in late December 2023, researchers report that Matabele ants can distinguish between peers with infected and uninfected wounds, potentially due to a difference in the hydrocarbon profile of their exoskeletons.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hydrocarbon 
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.
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2025
In a trading update published last month, TotalEnergies said its fourth-quarter results would likely benefit from a slight increase in hydrocarbon production, stronger gas trading and a modest increase in refining margins.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025
Before that property at 3739 Marysville Boulevard was sold to the housing agency, an underground storage tank leak prompted the county to open a case over petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in 1999.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 22 Jan. 2025
In a paper published in Nature Communications in late December 2023, researchers report that Matabele ants can distinguish between peers with infected and uninfected wounds, potentially due to a difference in the hydrocarbon profile of their exoskeletons.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hydrocarbon
Dictionary Entries Near hydrocarbon
Cite this Entry
“Hydrocarbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrocarbon. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hydrocarbon
noun
hy·dro·car·bon
ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən
: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share