hydrocarbon

American  

[hahy-druh-kahr-buhn, hahy-druh-kahr-] / ˌhaɪ drəˈkɑr bən, ˈhaɪ drəˌkɑr- /

noun

1. any of a class of compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon, as an alkane, methane, CH 4 , an alkene, ethylene, C 2 H 4 , an alkyne, acetylene, C 2 H 2 , or an aromatic compound, benzene, C 6 H 6 .

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hydrocarbon British  

/ ˌhaɪdrəʊˈkɑːbən /

noun

1. any organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen, such as the alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, terpenes, and arenes

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hydrocarbon Scientific  

/ hī′drə-kär′bən /

1. Any of numerous organic compounds, such as benzene, that contain only carbon and hydrogen.

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Other Word Forms

• hydrocarbonaceous adjective

Etymology

Origin of hydrocarbon

First recorded in 1820–30; hydro- ² + carbon

Example Sentences

And as investors look for new ways to take advantage of unprecedented volatility in hydrocarbon prices, exchange-traded funds offering leveraged returns on that volatility are becoming increasingly popular.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Under pressure from Washington, Rodriguez pushed through a major reform of the country's hydrocarbon laws, opening up the sector to private and foreign investment.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Dimming the upbeat declarations is a harsh reality: It will likely take at least a decade — and perhaps $200 billion or more — to restore the country’s decrepit hydrocarbon infrastructure, experts say.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

The licenses come a few weeks after Venezuela’s interim government made changes to its hydrocarbon law to ease state control of its dilapidated oil industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

This quality is possessed by some chemicals of the chlorinated hydrocarbon group and by others of the organophosphorus group, all synthetically produced, as well as by certain naturally occurring substances.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson