propane
n. uncountablen. a gas that burns easily and is used as fuel for cooking and heating. You usually find it stored in metal tanks for camping or outdoor grills.
n. a flammable hydrocarbon gas of the alkane series, derived from petroleum and used as a fuel source. Often stored under pressure as a liquid in portable cylinders.
We need to buy more propane for the barbecue.
Many rural homes rely on a large propane tank in the yard to provide fuel for their heating systems.
Because propane burns more cleanly than gasoline or coal, it is frequently used in indoor environments like warehouses where forklift emissions must be kept to a minimum.
From clipping of propionic acid + -ane, from French propionique, from Ancient Greek πρό (pró) + πίων (píōn, “fat”). Analyzable as prop- + -ane, borrowing or calque of German Propan.
Usually uncountable when referring to the gas as a substance; can be countable when referring to specific types or blends in industrial contexts.