propane

American  

[proh-peyn] / ˈproʊ peɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. 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.

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propane British  

/ ˈprəʊpeɪn /

noun

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

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propane Scientific  

/ prō′pān′ /

1. 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 .

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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.

Example Sentences

Naphtha, ethane and propane are the building blocks of plastics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Venezuelans rely on propane gas for cooking and shortages of basics like this are common here in Sucre, one of the country's poorest states.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

In contrast, costs for those using propane or heating oil are expected to stay about the same or fall slightly.

From Barron's • Dec. 29, 2025

Friday and found a propane truck had caught fire in the 42500 block of North 8th Street East in Lancaster, the department confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2025

The man in the gray suit leaned closer to Zane, one thick- gloved hand still resting on the knob of the propane valve.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff