Meaning & use
gas
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountablephysicschemistry
A substance like air that can spread freely and has no fixed shape or volume.
Grammar: Countable for a type of gas: noble gases.
Patterns
- a gas such as something
Oxygen is a gas that we need to breathe.
Water turns to a gas when it boils.
Helium is a very light gas.
noununcountable
A fuel in gas form used for cooking and heating.
Grammar: Often natural gas: a gas stove.
Patterns
- cook with gas
We cook with gas rather than electricity.
The gas was turned off during repairs.
A gas pipe runs under the street.
noununcountableAmericaninformal
Gasoline, the fuel used in cars.
Grammar: American English; British speakers say petrol.
Patterns
- fill up with gas
We stopped to buy gas on the highway.
Gas prices rose again this week.
The car ran out of gas.
noununcountableinformal
Air or gas in the stomach or intestines that causes discomfort or is released.
Grammar: Informal and medical; also called flatulence.
Patterns
- have gas
The baby has gas and cannot sleep.
Beans can cause gas in some people.
The medicine relieves gas and bloating.
verbtransitive
To poison or harm a person or animal with gas.
Grammar: Often used in the passive: was gassed.
Patterns
- gas someone
Soldiers were gassed in the trenches.
The pest control company gassed the rats.
The factory accident gassed several workers.
Word forms
| plural | gases |
|---|---|
| third person singular | gases |
| past tense | gassed |
| past participle | gassed |
| -ing form | gassing |
Common combinations
- natural gas
- Natural gas heats many homes.
- gas station
- There is a gas station near the exit.
- greenhouse gas
- Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
- gas pedal
- He pressed the gas pedal.
- step on the gas
- We need to step on the gas to arrive on time.
- gas mask
- The workers wore gas masks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vapor
- Vapor is a gas that comes from a liquid or solid, like water vapor.
- fumes
- Fumes are usually harmful or smelly gases from burning or chemicals.
- petrol
- Petrol is the British word for gasoline.
- air
- Air is the specific mix of gases around us, not the general term for any gas.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: gas or vapor?
gas vs vapor
Vapor describes a gas formed from something that is normally a liquid or solid at room temperature, whereas gas is the general term.
Practice
An American driver says, I need to stop for gas. What does gas mean?
Choose one answer.
In American English, gas is short for gasoline, the fuel for cars. The other meanings do not fit the context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.