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propane

American

[proh-payn] / ˈproʊ peɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

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.

propane British

/ ˈprəʊpeɪn /

noun

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

"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

propane Scientific

/ 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: C ₃ H ₈ .

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing propane

Organic Chemistry

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

propane

Inventories for natural gas and propane are above recent averages.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

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

Solar power and advanced water recycling systems would eliminate the need for utility hookups, only requiring occasional deliveries of potable water and propane to run the systems.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Later, when the crops are high, farmworkers use propane torches to burn the weeds by hand.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023