greenhouse gas

American  

[green-hous gas] / ˈgrinˌhaʊs ˌgæs /

noun

greenhouse gases plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• greenhouse gases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of greenhouse gas

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

"So, this is projected to increase if we don't cut greenhouse gas emissions."

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

Easy to order and replace, fast fashion items contribute to pollution from the textile industry, which accounts for nearly 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

“As organic waste decomposes in landfills, it accounts for 41% of the state’s methane emissions, a greenhouse gas with 84 times the power to heat the climate as carbon dioxide,” according to CalRecycle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

“Stripper wells” like these contribute relatively little to the U.S. energy supply but emit vast amounts of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026

It was the microbes that created methane—the farts—and methane was a greenhouse gas that trapped heat inside the atmosphere, making the earth hotter.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz