Definition of "hydrocarbon" []

• Any of numerous organic compounds, such as benzene and methane, that contain only carbon and hydrogen. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Sometimes when a hydrocarbon is aspirated, the coughing does not begin until much later."
• "In addition, aspiration may occur as the result of re-exposure of the larynx to hydrocarbon from the tip of the tube during removal."
• "Azerbaijan, rich in hydrocarbon reserves and the current darling of western energy companies, is finding the present situation untenable."