propane

[proh-peyn]

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, flammable gas, C3H8, of the alkane series, occurring in petroleum and natural gas: used chiefly as a fuel and in organic synthesis.

Origin of propane

First recorded in 1866; prop(ionic) + -ane

Also called dimethylmethane.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for propane

Contemporary Examples of propane

Propane cannons boom every 10 seconds, 24/7/365 to scare away the birds.
Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero
Darren Aronofsky
September 19, 2014
One grill turned into a flame-thrower for a 28-year-old woman after the propane hose came loose and sprayed her with flames.
Fireworks, Lightning, Riding Lawnmowers and Other Summer Menaces
Trevor Butterworth
July 9, 2013
First Squad's vehicle had triggered a buried bomb containing artillery rounds and propane tanks.
The Mental Health of Our Wounded Warriors: PTSD Isn't the Only Affliction
Justin Green
February 16, 2013
Unable to afford electricity, butane, or propane, the students, like their neighbors, relied on wood for their cooking.
Claremont McKenna Students Try Life on $1 a Day in ‘Living on One’
Robert Bryce
October 3, 2012
During a Friday night on either the first or second week, the propane tank ran out of gas, which is how we cook everything.
Chef Horror Stories
The Daily Beast
October 13, 2009

Historical Examples of propane

He lived through methane, through carbon dioxide, through nitrogen and propane.
Wainer
Michael Shaara

British Dictionary definitions for propane

propane

noun

a colourless flammable gaseous alkane found in petroleum and used as a fuel. Formula: CH 3 CH 2 CH 3

Word Origin for propane

C19: from propionic acid + -ane

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for propane

"colorless gas occurring in petroleum," 1866, with chemical suffix -ane + prop(ionic acid) (1850), from French propionique (1847), from Greek pro "forward" (see pro-) + pion "fat" (see fat (adj.)), in reference to its being first in order of the fatty acids.

Medicine definitions for propane

propane

[prō′pān′]

n.

A colorless hydrocarbon found in natural gas and petroleum and widely used as a fuel.

Science definitions for propane

propane

[prō′pān′]

A colorless, gaseous hydrocarbon found in petroleum and natural gas. It is widely used as a fuel. Propane is the third member of the alkane series. Chemical formula: C3H8.