gas
Physics. a substance possessing perfect molecular mobility and the property of indefinite expansion, as opposed to a solid or liquid.
any such fluid or mixture of fluids.
any such fluid used as an anesthetic, as nitrous oxide: Did the dentist give you gas for your extraction?
any such combustible fluid used as fuel: Light the gas in the oven.
Automotive.
Also called gas pedal . the foot-operated accelerator of an automotive vehicle: Take your foot off the gas.
Coal Mining. an explosive mixture of firedamp with air.
an aeriform fluid or a mistlike assemblage of fine particles suspended in air, used in warfare to asphyxiate, poison, or stupefy an enemy.
Slang.
empty talk.
a person or thing that is very entertaining, pleasing, or successful: The party was an absolute gas, and we loved it.
a person or thing that affects one strongly.
to supply with gas.
to overcome, poison, or asphyxiate with gas or fumes.
to singe (yarns or fabrics) with a gas flame to remove superfluous fibers.
to treat or impregnate with gas.
Slang.
to talk nonsense or falsehood to.
to amuse or affect strongly: Her weird clothes really gas me.
to give off gas, as a storage battery being charged.
Slang.
to indulge in idle, empty talk.
to become drunk (often followed by up).
gas up, to fill the gasoline tank of an automobile, truck, or other vehicle.
Idioms about gas
step on the gas, Informal. to increase the speed of one's movement or activity; hurry: We'd better step on the gas or we'll be late for the concert.
Origin of gas
1Other words from gas
- gasless, adjective
- non·gas, noun, plural non·gas·es.
Words that may be confused with gas
Words Nearby gas
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use gas in a sentence
In his testimony, DeMarco said he found spent tear gas canisters on the street after protesters were cleared.
How the Trump administration has tried to explain clearing protesters from Lafayette Square | JM Rieger | September 17, 2020 | Washington PostAs greenhouse gas emissions warm the planet, the ocean is absorbing vast amounts of that heat.
Underwater earthquakes’ sound waves reveal changes in ocean warming | Carolyn Gramling | September 17, 2020 | Science NewsThe trouble is, it can be genuinely hard to figure out how to direct your money wisely if you want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Want to fight climate change effectively? Here’s where to donate your money. | Sigal Samuel | September 17, 2020 | VoxOn the surface, it’s a triangular tussle involving Turkey, Greece and Cyprus over potentially giant gas reserves deep under the Mediterranean Sea.
Butterfly Effect: The Next U.S.-Russia Conflict Theater Could be the Mediterranean | Charu Kasturi | September 17, 2020 | OzyThe gas is produced by microbes here on Earth, and after most known nonbiological processes were ruled out, the discovery has renewed hopes that there’s life on Venus.
We need to go to Venus as soon as possible | Neel Patel | September 16, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
Security officials told Agence France-Presse that the gas station manager said he had recognized the two men.
Unconfirmed reports in the French media claimed that the brothers were spotted at a gas station in northern France on Thursday.
Total oil production figures include crude oil, natural gas liquids, and other liquid energy products.
On top of oil, the United States produces significantly more natural gas than Saudi Arabia.
Her slight miscalculation of how to fix the situation leads to her driving around the gas pump.
Slow Motion Tiger Jump, a Tornado at the Rose Bowl and More Viral Videos | The Daily Beast Video | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTFor comparison, the gas may be passed through a test-tube containing an equal amount of distilled water.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddIt is allowed to cool, and hydrogen sulphid gas is passed through it for about five minutes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddYou could not see the water till you got close up, and at a distance only the rows of gas jets were apparent.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy Faygas, it is clear, could not be carried into a hostile country or into remote and nearly inaccessible districts.
Asbestos | Robert H. JonesIn its pure state it is a transparent and colourless gas, having a peculiar pungent smell, and highly soluble in water.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas Anderson
British Dictionary definitions for gas
/ (ɡæs) /
a substance in a physical state in which it does not resist change of shape and will expand indefinitely to fill any container. If very high pressure is applied a gas may become liquid or solid, otherwise its density tends towards that of the condensed phase: Compare liquid (def. 1), solid (def. 1)
any substance that is gaseous at room temperature and atmospheric pressure
any gaseous substance that is above its critical temperature and therefore not liquefiable by pressure alone: Compare vapour (def. 2)
a fossil fuel in the form of a gas, used as a source of domestic and industrial heat: See also coal gas, natural gas
(as modifier): a gas cooker; gas fire
a gaseous anaesthetic, such as nitrous oxide
mining firedamp or the explosive mixture of firedamp and air
step on the gas informal
to increase the speed of a motor vehicle; accelerate
to hurry
a toxic or suffocating substance in suspension in air used against an enemy
informal idle talk or boasting
slang a delightful or successful person or thing: his latest record is a gas
US an informal name for flatus
(tr) to provide or fill with gas
(tr) to subject to gas fumes, esp so as to asphyxiate or render unconscious
(intr) to give off gas, as in the charging of a battery
(tr) (in textiles) to singe (fabric) with a flame from a gas burner to remove unwanted fibres
(intr foll by to) informal to talk in an idle or boastful way (to a person)
(tr) slang, mainly US and Canadian to thrill or delight
Origin of gas
1Derived forms of gas
- gasless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for gas
[ găs ]
One of four main states of matter, composed of molecules in constant random motion. Unlike a solid, a gas has no fixed shape and will take on the shape of the space available. Unlike a liquid, the intermolecular forces are very small; it has no fixed volume and will expand to fill the space available.
Other words from gas
- gaseous adjective (găs′ē-əs, găsh′əs)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for gas
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with gas
In addition to the idiom beginning with gas
- gas up
also see:
- cook with gas
- run out of steam (gas)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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