hydrocarbon

American  

[hahy-druh-kahr-buhn, hahy-druh-kahr-] / ˌhaɪ drəˈkɑr bən, ˈhaɪ drəˌkɑr- /

noun

1. any of a class of compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon, as an alkane, methane, CH 4 , an alkene, ethylene, C 2 H 4 , an alkyne, acetylene, C 2 H 2 , or an aromatic compound, benzene, C 6 H 6 .

---

hydrocarbon British  

/ ˌhaɪdrəʊˈkɑːbən /

noun

1. any organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen, such as the alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, terpenes, and arenes

---

hydrocarbon Scientific  

/ hī′drə-kär′bən /

1. Any of numerous organic compounds, such as benzene, that contain only carbon and hydrogen.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hydrocarbonaceous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hydrocarbon

First recorded in 1820–30; hydro- ² + carbon

Example Sentences

Instead, hydrogen is usually found bonded to other elements, most often in water and hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

That’s a big shift from January when Woods said at a White House meeting that Venezuela was “uninvestable” without significant changes to its commercial frameworks, legal system and hydrocarbon laws.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Tierra del Fuego is Argentina's youngest and least populated province, with industries like hydrocarbon exploration and fishing closely followed by tourism as local sources of income.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

The result is a global landscape in which hydrocarbon markets are both under pressure and generating windfall profits, even among Santa Marta participants.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Chlordane, another chlorinated hydrocarbon, has all these unpleasant attributes of DDT plus a few that are peculiarly its own.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson