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

At the meeting Friday, Woods also said that oil companies need to have “durable protections” for their investments and to see changes in Venezuela’s laws governing hydrocarbons.

From MarketWatch

The United Arab Emirates sold gold, smartphones and corn to Iran, and mainly bought hydrocarbons from it, according to WTO data.

From Barron's

Wright added that the U.S. would supply “diluent”—the lighter hydrocarbons needed to move Venezuela’s ultra-heavy crude—and would allow parts, equipment, and services into the country to stabilize production.

From Barron's

The Orinoco Oil Belt contains dense, viscous crude that requires blending with lighter hydrocarbons or upgrading to be marketable and transportable.

From Barron's

To make Orinoco oil marketable, producers must blend it with lighter hydrocarbons, known as diluent, or upgrade it into a lighter synthetic crude using large industrial facilities.

From Barron's