propane

[ proh-peyn ]

/ ˈproʊ peɪn /

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.

Nearby words

propagation, propagative, propagator, propagule, propagulum, propane, propanedioic, propanedioic acid, propanil, propanoic acid, propanol

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

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

Someone happened to know a guy with a 200-pound propane tank at his house.
Chef Horror Stories|The Daily Beast|October 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He lived through methane, through carbon dioxide, through nitrogen and propane.
Wainer|Michael Shaara

British Dictionary definitions for propane

propane

/ (ˈprəʊpeɪn) /

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

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.