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gas

[ gas ]

/ gæs /

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See synonyms for: gas / gases / gassed / gassing on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural gas·es or gas·ses.

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.

gasoline.
Also called gas pedal . the foot-operated accelerator of an automotive vehicle: Take your foot off the gas.

flatus.

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.

verb (used with object), gassed, gas·sing.

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.

verb (used without object), gassed, gas·sing.

to give off gas, as a storage battery being charged.

Slang.

to indulge in idle, empty talk.
to become drunk (often followed by up).

Verb Phrases

gas up, to fill the gasoline tank of an automobile, truck, or other vehicle.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

First recorded in 1650–60; coined by J. B. van Helmont (1577–1644), Flemish chemist; suggested by Greek cháos “atmosphere”

OTHER WORDS FROM gas

gasless, adjectivenon·gas, noun, plural non·gas·es.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH gas

fluid, gas , liquid (see synonym study at liquid)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use gas in a sentence

That means they are composed of compressed gasses, with no solid surface.
Could ‘Star Wars’ Be Right About Habitable Moons?|Matthew R. Francis|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Syrian military has also been known to mix more and less-lethal gasses in order to mask the use of chemical weapons.
Obama Administration Stiffs Chemical Survivors on New Claim|Josh Rogin, Noah Shachtman|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Try convincing the tea-bag crowd that the U.S. should cut its greenhouse gasses more than China does.
China's Upper Hand|Peter Beinart|November 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Aft of Stores, I heard the whistle of escaping air and high pressure gasses from ruptured lines.
Greylorn|John Keith Laumer

Under the warm beams, the frozen gasses evaporated, and in a few moments he had cleared the area around the ship.
Islands of Space|John W Campbell
Some eruption, perhaps, this we have seen—an ignition of gasses in the upper air—who knows?
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930|Various
A series of new flashes broke out, lifting and spreading the incandescent radioactive gasses, and then a great gush of flame rose.
Uller Uprising|Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr
Twelve or more evacuations may take place during a day; as a rule they are much increased by gasses and are of bad odor.
Prof. Koch's Method to Cure Tuberculosis Popularly Treated|Max Birnbaum

British Dictionary definitions for gas

gas

/ (ɡæs) /

noun plural gases or gasses

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 phaseCompare 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 aloneCompare vapour (def. 2)

a fossil fuel in the form of a gas, used as a source of domestic and industrial heatSee 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

the usual US, Canadian, and New Zealand word for petrol See also gasoline

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 thinghis latest record is a gas

US an informal name for flatus

verb gases, gasses, gassing or gassed

(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

Derived forms of gas

gasless, adjective

Word Origin for gas

C17 (coined by J. B. van Helmont (1577–1644), Flemish chemist): modification of Greek khaos atmosphere

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

Medical definitions for gas

gas

[ găs ]

n. pl. gas•es

The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by relatively low density and viscosity, relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature, the ability to diffuse readily, and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.

A substance in the gaseous state.

A gaseous fuel, such as natural gas.

Gasoline.

A gaseous asphyxiant, an irritant, or a poison.

A gaseous anesthetic, such as nitrous oxide.

Flatulence.

Flatus.

To treat chemically with gas.

To overcome, disable, or kill with poisonous fumes.

To give off gas.

Scientific definitions for gas

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)

Cultural definitions for gas

gas

In physics, one of the phases of matter. The atoms or molecules in gases are more widely spaced than in solids or liquids and suffer only occasional collisions with one another.

Other Idioms and Phrases with gas

gas

In addition to the idiom beginning with gas

gas up

also see:

cook with gas
run out of steam (gas)

gas

Idioms about gas

Origin of gas

OTHER WORDS FROM gas

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH gas

Words related to gas

How to use gas in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gas

Derived forms of gas

Word Origin for gas

Medical definitions for gas

Scientific definitions for gas

Other words from gas

Cultural definitions for gas

Other Idioms and Phrases with gas