gas

1 of 3

noun

plural gases also gasses
1
: a fluid (such as air) that has neither independent shape nor volume but tends to expand indefinitely
2
a
: a combustible gas or gaseous mixture for fuel or lighting
especially : natural gas
b
: a gaseous product of digestion
also : discomfort from this
c
: a gas or gaseous mixture used to produce anesthesia
d
: a substance that can be used to produce a poisonous, suffocating, or physically irritating atmosphere
3
: empty talk : bombast
His talk about quitting his job was all gas.
4
: gasoline
also : the accelerator pedal of an automotive vehicle
5
: driving force : energy
I was young, and full of gasH. L. Mencken
ran out of gas in the seventh inning
6
slang : something that gives pleasure : delight
the party was a gas
7
baseball, informal : fast and powerfully thrown pitches : smoke sense 8
That's Nate on the mound in the glossy photo in his dad's office, throwing gas in some Little League game.Austin Murphy

gas

2 of 3

verb

gassed; gassing

intransitive verb

1
: to talk idly or garrulously
2
: to give off gas (see gas entry 1 sense 1)
3
: to fill the tank (as of an automobile) with gasoline
usually used with up

transitive verb

1
: to supply with gas or especially gasoline
gas up the car
2
a
: to treat chemically with gas
b
: to poison or otherwise affect adversely with gas
3
slang : to please greatly

GAS

3 of 3

abbreviation

gender-affirming surgery; gender affirmation surgery
Gender-affirming surgery (GAS), which refers to any surgical procedure that modifies an individual's body in accordance with their gender identity and expression, is sought after by some transgender and gender nonbinary individuals.Alexandra Terris-Feldman et al.
Currently, there are many treatment options for gender dysphoria, including hormone treatment, … psychotherapy, and GAS.Hadal El-Hadi et al.

Examples of gas in a Sentence

Noun Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas. We heat our house with gas. Do you have a gas stove or an electric one? The car gets good gas mileage. The car almost ran out of gas. He was driving with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. Verb soldiers gassed on the battlefield We stopped to gas the car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But the visual appearance of the dead fish, which had telltale bulging eyes, pointed to gas bubble disease as the culprit. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 The figure is the largest annual profit achieved by an oil and gas company. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 8 Mar. 2024 In New Mexico, royalty payments from oil and gas development are deposited in a multibillion-dollar investment trust that benefits public schools, universities and hospitals. Morgan Lee, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 According to available records, an oil and gas PAC spent $522,000 in opposition to McNerney’s candidacy. Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Solar radiation caught in Jupiter’s magnetic field charges up volcanic gasses in Io’s tenuous atmosphere, ejecting them into orbit. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Supermassive black holes or the violent interactions of stars can be the culprits that eject gas from galaxies, bringing star formation to a quick halt. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 The new rule has especially rankled the oil and gas industry, which says the commission is unfairly punishing its industrial sector, a major source of climate-warming emissions. Maxine Joselow, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Denmark is not rich in oil and gas, rare earth minerals, or other commodities such as copper or rubber. Peter Vanham, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
The flight originated in Ontario and made stops along the way that were likely to gas up, including in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Mount Sterling, Kentucky, McCarter said. Greg Norman, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2024 Service stations, particularly in the eastern half of the country, ran short of fuel as consumers rushed to gas up. Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Jordan, who happened to be visiting Brink's office when this happened, helps Brink slip a mask over GB's face and gas him unconscious, landing a job as Brink's TA in exchange for their silence. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023 Prosecutors also alleged that Fritzl had threatened to kill Elisabeth and gas their children to death. Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2024 Actually, the laser letdown was my only disappointment during a two-day stay in what many consider as the Arizona city best used as a place to gas up and catch a bite to eat before heading east to Tucson or west to San Diego. Sam McManis, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024 Perhaps the most recent example is George Santos, the far-right former congressman expelled for his compulsive lying and alleged campaign fundraising and credit card fraud, who has since pivoted to charging $350 on Cameo to gas up furries. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2024 Amanda wasn't afraid to gas up her husband-to-be at the time, either. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023 Your brother should at the very least always return the car gassed up (that’s what anyone should do). Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin, alteration of Latin chaos space, chaos

Verb

derivative of gas entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1849, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gas was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near gas

Cite this Entry

“Gas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gas. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gas

1 of 2 noun
plural gases also gasses
1
: a fluid (as hydrogen or air) that has no fixed shape and tends to expand without limit
2
a
: a gas or mixture of gases used as a fuel or as an anesthetic
b
: a gaseous product of digestion
c
: a fluid substance (as tear gas) that can be used to produce a poisonous or suffocating atmosphere
3
: unimportant talk : bombast
4
5
slang : something appealing or enjoyable
the party was a gas

gas

2 of 2 verb
gassed; gassing
1
: to supply with gas
gas up the car
2
a
: to treat with gas
b
: to poison with gas
3
: to talk idly

Medical Definition

gas

1 of 3 noun
plural gases also gasses
1
: a fluid (as air) that has neither independent shape nor volume but tends to expand indefinitely
2
: a gaseous product of digestion
also : discomfort from this
3
: a gas or gaseous mixture used to produce anesthesia
4
: a substance that can be used to produce a poisonous, asphyxiating, or irritant atmosphere

gas

2 of 3 transitive verb
gassed; gassing
1
: to treat chemically with gas
2
: to poison or otherwise affect adversely with gas

GAS

3 of 3 abbreviation
1
2
gender-affirming surgery; gender affirmation surgery

More from Merriam-Webster on gas

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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