Gas (root: gas)

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Gas, n. [Invented by the chemist Van Helmont of Brussels, who died in 1644.].

•  An aëriform fluid; -- a term used at first by chemists as synonymous with air, but since restricted to fluids supposed to be permanently elastic, as oxygen, hydrogen, etc., in distinction from vapors, as steam, which become liquid on a reduction of temperature. In present usage, since all of the supposed permanent gases have been liquified by cold and pressure, the term has resumed nearly its original signification, and is applied to any substance in the elastic or aëriform state.  [1913 Webster]
•  A complex mixture of gases, of which the most important constituents are marsh gas, olefiant gas, and hydrogen, artificially produced by the destructive distillation of gas coal, or sometimes of peat, wood, oil, resin, etc. It gives a brilliant light when burned, and is the common gas used for illuminating purposes.  [1913 Webster]
•  same as gasoline; -- a shortened form. Also, the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term “ step on the gas”.  [PJC]
•  the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term “ step on the gas”.  [PJC]
•  Same as natural gas.  [PJC]
•  an exceptionally enjoyable event; a good time; as, The concert was a gas.  [PJC]

  " Gas is often used adjectively or in combination; as, gas fitter or gasfitter; gas meter or gas-meter, etc."  [1913 Webster]

Air gas (Chem.), a kind of gas made by forcing air through some volatile hydrocarbon, as the lighter petroleums. The air is so saturated with combustible vapor as to be a convenient illuminating and heating agent. -- Gas battery (Elec.), a form of voltaic battery, in which gases, especially hydrogen and oxygen, are the active agents. -- Gas carbon, Gas coke, etc. See under Carbon, Coke, etc. -- Gas coal, a bituminous or hydrogenous coal yielding a high percentage of volatile matters, and therefore available for the manufacture of illuminating gas. R. W. Raymond. -- Gas engine, an engine in which the motion of the piston is produced by the combustion or sudden production or expansion of gas; -- especially, an engine in which an explosive mixture of gas and air is forced into the working cylinder and ignited there by a gas flame or an electric spark.<-- = internal combustion engine --> -- Gas fitter, one who lays pipes and puts up fixtures for gas. -- Gas fitting. (a) The occupation of a gas fitter. (b) pl. The appliances needed for the introduction of gas into a building, as meters, pipes, burners, etc. -- Gas fixture, a device for conveying illuminating or combustible gas from the pipe to the gas-burner, consisting of an appendage of cast, wrought, or drawn metal, with tubes upon which the burners, keys, etc., are adjusted. -- Gas generator, an apparatus in which gas is evolved; as: (a) a retort in which volatile hydrocarbons are evolved by heat; (b) a machine in which air is saturated with the vapor of liquid hydrocarbon; a carburetor; (c) a machine for the production of carbonic acid gas, for aërating water, bread, etc. Knight. -- Gas jet, a flame of illuminating gas. -- Gas machine, an apparatus for carbureting air for use as illuminating gas. -- Gas meter, an instrument for recording the quantity of gas consumed in a given time, at a particular place. -- Gas retort, a retort which contains the coal and other materials, and in which the gas is generated, in the manufacture of gas. -- Gas stove, a stove for cooking or other purposes, heated by gas. -- Gas tar, coal tar. -- Gas trap, a drain trap; a sewer trap. See 4th Trap, 5. -- Gas washer (Gas Works), an apparatus within which gas from the condenser is brought in contact with a falling stream of water, to precipitate the tar remaining in it. Knight. -- Gas water, water through which gas has been passed for purification; -- called also gas liquor and ammoniacal water, and used for the manufacture of sal ammoniac, carbonate of ammonia, and Prussian blue. Tomlinson. -- Gas well, a deep boring, from which natural gas is discharged. Raymond. -- Gas works, a manufactory of gas, with all the machinery and appurtenances; a place where gas is generated for lighting cities. -- Laughing gas. See under Laughing. -- Marsh gas (Chem.), a light, combustible, gaseous hydrocarbon, CH4, produced artificially by the dry distillation of many organic substances, and occurring as a natural product of decomposition in stagnant pools, whence its name. It is an abundant ingredient of ordinary illuminating gas, and is the first member of the paraffin series. Called also methane, and in coal mines, fire damp. -- Natural gas, gas obtained from wells, etc., in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and elsewhere, and largely used for fuel and illuminating purposes. It is chiefly derived from the Coal Measures. -- Olefiant gas (Chem.). See Ethylene. -- Water gas (Chem.), a kind of gas made by forcing steam over glowing coals, whereby there results a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This gives a gas of intense heating power, but destitute of light-giving properties, and which is charged by passing through some volatile hydrocarbon, as gasoline.<-- = synthesis gas -->

Gas, v. t. 

•  To singe, as in a gas flame, so as to remove loose fibers; as, to gas thread.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  To impregnate with gas; as, to gas lime with chlorine in the manufacture of bleaching powder.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  to expose to a poisonous or noxious gas  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Gas, n. & v.
--n. (pl. gases)
1 any airlike substance which moves freely to fill any space available, irrespective of its quantity.
2 a such a substance (esp. found naturally or extracted from coal) used as a domestic or industrial fuel (also attrib. : gas cooker; gas fire). b an explosive mixture of firedamp with air.
3 nitrous oxide or another gas used as an anaesthetic (esp. in dentistry).
4 a gas or vapour used as a poisonous agent to disable an enemy in warfare.
5 US colloq. petrol, gasoline.
6 sl. pointless idle talk; boasting.
7 sl. an enjoyable, attractive, or amusing thing or person.
--v. (gases, gassed, gassing)
1 tr. expose to gas, esp. to kill or make unconscious.
2 intr. give off gas.
3 tr. (usu. foll. by up) US colloq. fill (the tank of a motor vehicle) with petrol.
4 intr. colloq. talk idly or boastfully.

Idiom

gas chamber an airtight chamber that can be filled with poisonous gas to kill people or animals. gas chromatography chromatography employing gas as the eluent. gas-cooled (of a nuclear reactor etc.) cooled by a current of gas. gas fire a domestic fire using gas as its fuel. gas-fired using gas as the fuel. gas gangrene a rapidly spreading gangrene of injured tissue infected by a soil bacterium and accompanied by the evolution of gas. gas mask a respirator used as a defence against poison gas. gas meter an apparatus recording the amount of gas consumed. gas oil a type of fuel oil distilled from petroleum and heavier than paraffin oil. gas plant Bot. fraxinella. gas-proof impervious to gas. gas ring a hollow ring perforated with gas jets, used esp. for cooking. gas station US a filling-station. gas-tight proof against the leakage of gas. gas turbine a turbine driven by a flow of gas or by gas from combustion.

Etymology

invented by J. B. van Helmont, Belgian chemist d. 1644, after Gk khaos chaos

THESAURUS

Gas

acetylene, advance against, advance upon, aerodynamics, air, alcohol, ammonia, argon, asphyxiating gas, atmosphere, avgas, babble, babblement, baloney, bavardage, bear down upon, belch, benzine, best seller, bibble-babble, big hit, big talk, bilge, blab, blabber, blah, blah-blah, blather, blether, blethers, bop, bosh, brilliant success, briquette, bull, bullshit, bunk, bunker, bunkum, burnable, burp, butane, cackle, caquet, caqueterie, carbon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, cater, charcoal, chat, chatter, chitter-chatter, chlorine, clack, clatter, coal, coal gas, coal oil, coke, combustible, counterattack, crap, crude, crude oil, dither, dope, drive, drivel, drool, electricity, eructation, ethane, ethanol, ether, ethyl, ethyl gas, ethylene, fad, fancy talk, fart, feed, fill up, fine talk, fireball, firing, fish story, flammable, flammable material, flank, flapdoodle, flatulence, flatulency, flatuosity, flatus, fluid, fluorine, forage, formaldehyde, fossil oil, fuel, fuel additive, fuel dope, gab, gabble, gas carbon, gas up, gasoline, gasser, gibber, gibble-gabble, go on, gossip, great success, guff, gup, gush, halogen gas, haver, helium, heptane, hexane, hiccup, high-octane gas, high-test, highfalutin, highfaluting, hit, hogwash, hokum, hooey, hot air, hydrogen, idle talk, illuminant, illuminating gas, inert gas, infiltrate, inflammable, inflammable material, isooctane, jabber, jaw, jazz, jet fuel, kerosene, killing, krypton, launch an attack, lead-free gas, lewisite, light source, low-lead gas, luminant, malarkey, march against, march upon, marsh gas, mere talk, meteoric success, methane, methanol, momentary success, moonshine, motor oil, mount an attack, mustard gas, natter, natural gas, neon, nitrogen, nonsense talk, octane, oil, open an offensive, oxygen, ozone, palaver, paraffin, patter, peat, pentane, petrol, petroleum, piffle, pneumatics, poison gas, poppycock, pour forth, prate, prating, prattle, premium gas, prittle-prattle, propane, propellant, provender, provision, purvey, push, radon, ramble on, rattle, rattle on, reel off, regular, resounding triumph, riot, roaring success, rock oil, rocket fuel, rot, run on, scat, sell, sensation, sewer gas, shit, smash, smash hit, spout, spout off, strike, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, tall story, tall talk, thrust, tittle-tattle, tommyrot, top off, tripe, triumph, turf, twaddle, twattle, vapor, victual, waffle, wind, wow, xenon, yak, yakkety-yak

ROGET THESAURUS

Gas

Punishment

VB punish, chastise, chasten, castigate, correct, inflict punishment, administer correction, deal retributive justice, cowhide, lambaste, visit upon, pay, pay out, serve out, do for, make short work of, give a lesson to, serve one right, make an example of, have a rod in pickle for, give it one, strike, deal a blow to, administer the lash, smite, slap, slap the face, smack, cuff, box the ears, spank, thwack, thump, beat, lay on, swinge, buffet, thresh, thrash, pummel, drub, leather, trounce, sandbag, baste, belabor, lace, lace one's jacket, dress, dress down, give a dressing, trim, warm, wipe, tund, cob, bang, strap, comb, lash, lick, larrup, wallop, whop, flog, scourge, whip, birch, cane, give the stick, switch, flagellate, horsewhip, bastinado, towel, rub down with an oaken towel, rib roast, dust one's jacket, fustigate, pitch into, lay about one, beat black and blue, beat to a mummy, beat to a jelly, give a black eye, tar and feather, pelt, stone, lapidate, masthead, keelhaul, execute, bring to the block, bring to the gallows, behead, decapitate, guillotine, decollate, hang, turn off, gibbet, bowstring, hang draw and quarter, shoot, decimate, burn, break on the wheel, crucify, empale, impale, flay, lynch, electrocute, gas, send to the gas chamber, torture, put on, put to the rack, picket, banish, exile, transport, expel, ostracize, rusticate, drum out, dismiss, disbar, disbench, strike off the roll, unfrock, post, suffer, suffer for, suffer punishment, be flogged, be executed, suffer the ultimate penalty, be hanged, come to the gallows, mount the gallows, swing, twist in the wind, dance upon nothing, die in one's shoes, be rightly served, be electrocuted, fry, ride the lightning, face the firing squad.

Boasting

N boasting, boast, vaunt, crake, pretense, pretensions, puff, puffery, flourish, fanfaronade, gasconade, blague, bluff, gas, highfalutin, highfaluting, hot air, spread-eagleism, brag, braggardism, bravado, bunkum, buncombe, jactitation, jactancy, bounce, venditation, vaporing, rodomontade, bombast, fine talking, tall talk, magniloquence, teratology, heroics, Chauvinism, exaggeration, vanity, vox et praeterea nihil, much cry and little wool, brutum fulmen, exultation, gloriation, glorification, flourish of trumpets, triumph, boaster, braggart, braggadocio, Gascon, fanfaron, pretender, soi-disant, blower, bluffer, Foxy Quiller, blusterer, charlatan, jack-pudding, trumpeter, puppy, boasting, magniloquent, flaming, Thrasonic, stilted, gasconading, braggart, boastful, pretentious, soi-disant, vainglorious, highfalutin, highfaluting, spread- eagle, elate, elated, jubilant, triumphant, exultant, in high feather, flushed, flushed with victory, cock-a-hoop, on stilts, vaunted, vauntingly, let the galled jade wince, facta non verba.

Gaseity

N gaseity, vaporousness, flatulence, flatulency, volatility, aeration, aerification, elastic fluid, gas, air, vapor, ether, steam, essence, fume, reek, effluvium, flatus, cloud, ammonia, ammoniacal gas, volatile alkali, vacuum, partial vacuum, pneumatics, pneumatostatics, aerostatics, aerodynamics, gasmeter, gasometer, air bladder, swimming bladder, sound, (of a fish), gaseous, aeriform, ethereal, aerial, airy, vaporous, volatile, evaporable, flatulent.

Killing

VB kill, put to death, slay, shed blood, murder, assassinate, butcher, slaughter, victimize, immolate, massacre, take away life, deprive of life, make away with, put an end to, despatch, dispatch, burke, settle, do for, strangle, garrote, hang, throttle, choke, stifle, suffocate, stop the breath, smother, asphyxiate, drown, saber, cut down, cut to pieces, cut the throat, jugulate, stab, run through the body, bayonet, eviscerate, put to the sword, put to the edge of the sword, shoot dead, blow one's brains out, brain, knock on the head, stone, lapidate, give a deathblow, deal a deathblow, give a quietus, give a coupe de grace, behead, bowstring, electrocute, gas, hunt, shoot, cut off, nip in the bud, launch into eternity, send to one's last account, sign one's death warrant, strike the death knell of, give no quarter, pour out blood like water, decimate, run amuck, wade knee deep in blood, imbrue one's hands in blood, die a violent death, welter in one's blood, dash out one's brains, blow out one's brains, commit suicide, kill oneself, make away with oneself, put an end to oneself, put an end to it all.

Fuel

N fuel, firing, combustible, coal, wallsend, anthracite, culm, coke, carbon, charcoal, bituminous coal, tar shale, turf, peat, firewood, bobbing, faggot, log, cinder, ingle, tinder, touchwood, sulphur, brimstone, incense, port-fire, fire-barrel, fireball, brand, amadou, bavin, blind coal, glance coal, German tinder, pyrotechnic sponge, punk, smudge, solid fueled rocket, wax, paraffin wax, paraffin oil, lamp oil, whale oil, oil, petroleum, gasoline, high octane gasoline, nitromethane, petrol, gas, juice, gasohol, alcohol, ethanol, methanol, fuel oil, kerosene, jet fuel, heating oil, number 2 oil, number 4 oil, naphtha, rocket fuel, high specific impulse fuel, liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, lox, natural gas, synthetic gas, synthesis gas, propane, butane, hydrogen, brand, torch, fuse, wick, spill, match, light, lucifer, congreve, vesuvian, vesta, fusee, locofoco, linstock, candle, oil, carbonaceous, combustible, inflammable, high octane, high specific impulse, heat of combustion.

Luminary

N luminary, light, flame, spark, scintilla, phosphorescence, fluorescence, sun, orb of day, Phoebus, Apollo, Aurora, star, orb, meteor, falling star, shooting star, blazing star, dog star, Sirius, canicula, Aldebaran, constellation, galaxy, zodiacal light, anthelion, day star, morning star, Lucifer, mock sun, parhelion, phosphor, phosphorus, sun dog, Venus, aurora, polar lights, northern lights, aurora borealis, southern lights, aurora australis, lightning, chain lightning, fork lightning, sheet lightning, summer lightning, ball lightning, kugelblitz, phosphorus, yellow phosphorus, scintillator, phosphor, firefly luminescence, ignis fatuus, Jack o'lantern, Friar's lantern, will-o'-the- wisp, firedrake, Fata Morgana, Saint Elmo's fire, glowworm, firefly, June bug, lightning bug, anglerfish, gas, gas light, lime light, lantern, lanthorn, dark lantern, bull's-eye, candle, bougie, taper, rushlight, oil, wick, burner, Argand, moderator, duplex, torch, flambeau, link, brand, gaselier, chandelier, electrolier, candelabrum, candelabra, girandole, sconce, luster, candlestick, lamp, light, incandescent lamp, tungsten bulb, light bulb, flashlight, torch, arc light, laser, maser neon bulb, neon sign, fluorescent lamp, filament, socket, contacts, filler gas, firework, fizgig, pyrotechnics, rocket, lighthouse, self-luminous, glowing, phosphoric, phosphorescent, fluorescent, incandescent, luminescent, chemiluminescent, radiant, blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels, the sentinel stars set their watch in the sky, the planets in their station list'ning stood, the Scriptures of the skies, that orbed continent, the fire that severs day from night.