greenhouse gas

American  

[green-haus gas] / ˈgrinˌhaʊs ˌgæs /

noun

• greenhouse gases
  plural

1. any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and the fluorocarbons.

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greenhouse gas British  

noun

1. any gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect

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greenhouse gas Scientific  

1. Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation produced by solar warming of the Earth's surface. They include carbon dioxide (CO ₂), methane (CH ₄), nitrous oxide (N ₂ O), and water vapor. Although greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, the elevated levels especially of carbon dioxide and methane that have been observed in recent decades are directly related, at least in part, to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and the deforestation of tropical forests.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• greenhouse gases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of greenhouse gas

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

greenhouse gas

Even accounting for fishmeal and transportation to the U.S., the production of certain farmed fish, including tilapia and Atlantic salmon, emits less greenhouse gas per pound than beef or pork.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Coal is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Nepal is one of the lowest emitters of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet one one of the most vulnerable countries to global warming.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Still, some expressed concern about opening the floodgates to cases against any company that contributed to greenhouse gas emissions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

It was the microbes that created methane—the farts—and methane was a greenhouse gas that trapped heat inside the atmosphere, making the earth hotter.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz