gas

noun (plural gases or chiefly US gasses)

• 1an air-like fluid substance which expands freely to fill any space available, irrespective of its quantity:hot balls of gas that become stars [count noun]:poisonous gases
• Physics a gaseous substance that cannot be liquefied by the application of pressure alone. Compare with vapour.
• a flammable gas used as a fuel: cooking is done by bottled gas
• a gaseous anaesthetic such as nitrous oxide, used in dentistry.
• gas or vapour used as a poisonous agent in warfare: gas was one of the most dreaded weapons of the war
• North American gas generated in the alimentary canal; flatulence.
• Mining an explosive mixture of firedamp with air.

• 2North American informalshort for gasoline.we stopped for gas
• used in reference to power or the accelerator of a car:I ordered my friend to step on the gas

• 3 (a gas) informal an entertaining or amusing person or situation:the party would be a gas
• [mass noun] Irish enjoyment, amusement, or fun:it was great gas in the club last night

verb (gases, gassing, gassed)

• 1kill or harm by exposure to gas:my son was gassed at Verdun
• [no object] (of a storage battery or dry cell) give off gas: (as noun gassing)the maintenance-free charger controls the input without inducing gassing

• 2 [no object] informal talk excessively about trivial matters:I thought you’d never stop gassing

• 3North American informal fill the tank of (a motor vehicle) with petrol:after gassing up the car, he went into the restaurant

adjective

• very amusing or entertaining:Ruthie, that’s gas—you’re a gem