greenhouse gas

American  

[green-hous gas] / ˈgrinˌhaʊs ˌgæs /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of greenhouse gas

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Should the world fail to limit the rise in global warming by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the figures increase dramatically.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Coal is a key contributor to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, and phasing it out is crucial to taming climate change.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday will weigh a draft resolution underlining states' obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move that has been scaled back under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

But scientists have now discovered that the eruption also triggered an unexpected atmospheric reaction that partially removed methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from the air.

From Science Daily • May 10, 2026

During this period, plastic increasingly filled landfills and oceans while its production—up to 8 million tons annually by 2020—contributed to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly