gas main

American

noun

a large pipe for conducting and distributing gas to lesser pipes or ducts, especially such a pipe carrying and distributing household gas beneath the streets of a town or city.

gas main British

noun

a large pipeline in which gas is carried for distribution through smaller pipes to consumers

"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

Etymology

Origin of gas main

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

gas main

According to KTLA, firefighters responded to the property on Tuesday following reports of a gas main break.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

A driveway in Malibu collapsed into a massive sinkhole Tuesday morning as crews responded to a suspected gas main break, according to officials.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

PSE did not respond to further questions about the gas main work by publication time.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2023

The man was using a machine to install fence posts when it ruptured a gas main in Wessington, Derbyshire on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2022

He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023