greenhouse gas
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noun
any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and the fluorocarbons.
Nearby words
Origin of greenhouse gas
First recorded in 1980–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for greenhouse gas
A carbon tax may be a good way to respond to greenhouse-gas emissions.
Globally, livestock—mostly cattle—account for 18 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Meat Glue, Pink Slime, Health Risks & More Reasons to Never Eat Meat|The Daily Beast|March 13, 2012|DAILY BEASTCattle rank up there with automobiles and power plants in terms of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Meat Glue, Pink Slime, Health Risks & More Reasons to Never Eat Meat|The Daily Beast|March 13, 2012|DAILY BEASTNew polling suggests 76 percent of Americans support some government limitations on greenhouse-gas emissions.
British Dictionary definitions for greenhouse gas
greenhouse gas
noun
any gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Science definitions for greenhouse gas
greenhouse gas
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 (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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