Borrowed from Dutch gas [1650s], coined by chemist Van Helmont. Probably derived from Dutch chaos ("chaos"), from Ancient Greek χάος (kháos, "chasm, void, empty space"); perhaps inspired by geest ("breath, vapour, spirit").
(uncountable, chemistry) Matter in a state intermediate between liquid and plasma that can be contained only if it is fully surrounded by a solid (or in a bubble of liquid) (or held together by gravitational pull); it can condense into a liquid, or can (rarely) become a solid directly.
A lot of gas had escaped from the cylinder.
(countable, chemistry) A chemical element or compound in such a state.
The atmosphere is made up of a number of different gases.
(uncountable) A flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture (typically predominantly methane) used as a fuel, e.g. for cooking, heating, electricity generation or as a fuel in internal combustion engines in vehicles.
Gas-fired power stations have largely replaced coal-burning ones.
(countable) A hob on a gas cooker.
She turned the gas on, put the potatoes on, then lit the oven.
(US) Methane or other waste gases trapped in one's belly as a result of the digestive process.
My tummy hurts so bad, I have gas.
(slang) A humorous or entertaining event or person.
He is such a gas!
The closer threw him nothing but gas.
(medicine, colloquial) Arterial or venous blood gas.
(transitive) To kill with poisonous gas.
"Well don't keep on gassing about it," said Digory.
The battery cell was gassing.
(transitive) To impregnate with gas.
(transitive) To singe, as in a gas flame, so as to remove loose fibers.
(uncountable, US) Gasoline; a derivative of petroleum used as fuel.
(US) To give a vehicle more fuel in order to accelerate it.
The cops are coming. Gas it!
(US) To fill (a vehicle's fuel tank) with fuel.
Compare the slang usage of "a gas", above.
The other models were gas fun, though they were all a bit hoity-toity.
Mary's new boyfriend is a gas man.
It was gas when the bird flew into the classroom.
Coined by chemist Van Helmont. Perhaps inspired by geest ("breath, vapour, spirit") or by chaos ("chaos"), from Ancient Greek χάος (kháos, "chasm, void").
From Middle Dutch gasse ("unpaved street"), from Middle High German gazze, from Old High German gazza, from Proto-Germanic *gatwǭ.
From Old French gars, nominative singular form of garçon.
"gas" in The Bokmål Dictionary.
"gas" in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
From Proto-Germanic *gans, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰh₂éns.
From Old Norse gás, from Proto-Germanic *gans.
Borrowed from Dutch gas, coined by Belgian chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont. Perhaps inspired by Middle Dutch gheest (Modern Dutch geest) "breath, vapour, spirit", or from Ancient Greek χάος (kháos, "chasm, void").
"gas" in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
A round piece of butter with a depression created with the thumb.