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

Tapping of traditional hydrocarbons can also not be discounted via its coking coal deposits and potential for offshore oil and gas drilling. —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

Plastics are a product of the petroleum industry, created by processing chemicals found in hydrocarbons. —Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025

They are often found around hydrothermal vents, hydrocarbon seeps or with organic falls like sunken wood and whale carcasses. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025

Saturn’s moon Titan has lakes of liquid methane and ethane that are made of organic molecules, as are its hydrocarbon sand dunes. —Elise Cutts, WIRED, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hydrocarbon

• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
• polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon

Kids Definition

hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən 

: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen

Medical Definition

hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon -ˈkär-bən 

: an organic compound (as acetylene, benzene, or butane) containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas, coal, and bitumens