propane

American  

[proh-payn] / ˈproʊ peɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, flammable gas, C 3 H 8 , of the alkane series, occurring in petroleum and natural gas: used chiefly as a fuel and in organic synthesis.

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propane British  

/ ˈprəʊpeɪn /

noun

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

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propane Scientific  

/ prō′pān′ /

1. 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: C ₃ H ₈ .

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Etymology

Origin of propane

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

Explanation

Propane is a flammable fuel you can use to heat your house, barbecue, or portable camping stove. Propane is refined from natural gas and petroleum. Propane is a gaseous hydrocarbon that is stored as a liquid under pressure in tanks. Propane is as useful as it is volatile. It's useful because it's a portable fuel that you can heat anything from a small stove to an entire house with. But propane is dangerous because it's highly flammable. That’s why houses heated by propane have propane tanks outside. Propane must be stored and handled carefully and away from flames.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

propane

That heating generated hydrocarbons including methane and propane.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Other products were scattered around, including propane gas cylinders and bags of caustic soda, in the unfinished building.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Amid shortages elsewhere, the U.S. has been exporting fuels including gasoline, diesel and propane at record levels.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

Burning gas and propane for cooking, water heating and space heating in California homes and businesses creates 10% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026

It was a propane tank turkey fryer and worked great for frybread.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith