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

If we assume aviation accounts for 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and apply the Environmental Protection Agency climate model, we can estimate the effect of aviation greenhouse gas emissions for the year 2100.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

That means big cuts to greenhouse gas emissions - by moving away from using oil and gas for energy, switching to electric vehicles as well as planting more trees.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Yet the limits of the effort are visible in who is not in the room: the world’s three largest greenhouse gas emitters, China, the U.S. and India.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

One major challenge has been the difficulty of accurately reconstructing both global temperatures and greenhouse gas levels from so far back in time.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 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