# gas

/ˈɡæs/ (US) · /ɡˈæs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gas
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. state of matter

noun · CEFR A2

a substance like air that is not a solid or a liquid.

For teachers: a substance in a physical state of matter characterized by low density and the ability to expand indefinitely.

- Oxygen is a gas that humans need to breathe to stay alive.
- The experiment demonstrates how the volume of a gas increases when the temperature rises while pressure remains constant.

### 2. fuel for heating or cooking

noun · CEFR A2

a substance burned as fuel for heating houses or cooking food.

For teachers: natural gas or a similar gaseous fuel used as a utility for domestic or industrial energy.

- I prefer cooking with gas because it is easier to control the heat.
- The utility company sent a technician to investigate a possible leak in the main gas line outside the apartment complex.

### 3. fuel for cars

noun · CEFR A2 · American English

a liquid fuel used to power cars and other vehicles.

For teachers: a liquid petroleum derivative used as fuel in internal combustion engines; an ellipsis of 'gasoline'.

- We should stop at the next station because the car is almost out of gas.
- Rising gas prices have prompted many commuters to consider switching to electric vehicles or using public transportation.

### 4. digestive air

noun · CEFR B1

air that builds up in your stomach or bubbles out of your body.

For teachers: intestinal or stomach flatus produced during the digestive process.

- Certain foods like beans can give you gas and make you feel bloated.
- The patient complained of abdominal discomfort and persistent gas following the dietary changes recommended by the nutritionist.

### 5. something funny

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · British English · Dialect

a person or an event that is very funny or entertaining.

For teachers: an entertaining or humorous person, situation, or experience.

- The party last night was a total gas; we didn't stop laughing.
- The local comedy night proved to be a real gas, featuring several up-and-coming performers who kept the audience engaged for hours.

### 6. to poison with gas

verb · CEFR B2

to attack or kill someone using poisonous gas.

For teachers: to expose a person or animal to poisonous gas with the intent to injure or kill.

- The soldiers were warned that the enemy might try to gas them during the night.
- Historical accounts detail the horrific consequences when troops were gassed in the trenches during the First World War.

### 7. to talk a lot

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · British English

to talk for a long time about things that are not important.

For teachers: to engage in idle, boastful, or empty conversation for an extended period.

- They spent the whole afternoon gassing about their old school days.
- The neighbors stood by the garden fence for nearly an hour, gassing away about local gossip and the upcoming village festival.

### 8. funny or amusing

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal · Dialect

very funny or strange in an entertaining way.

For teachers: comical, amusing, or zany in nature.

- He is a gas man; he always has a funny story to tell.
- It was gas to see the look on his face when he realized we were all in on the joke.

Usage: Common in Irish English to describe a funny person or situation.

## Examples

- I need to stop and get some gas for the car.
- The kitchen uses gas for the stove because it heats up much faster than an electric burner.
- Physicists study how the molecules in a gas move rapidly and randomly, colliding with one another and the walls of their container to create pressure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.