What is "gas"

Gas \Gas\ (g[a^]s), n.; pl. Gases (g[a^]s"[e^]z). [Invented by the chemist Van Helmont of Brussels, who died in 1644.]

1. An a["e]riform fluid; -- a term used at first by chemists as synonymous with air, but since restricted to fluids supposed to be permanently elastic, as oxygen, hydrogen, etc., in distinction from vapors, as steam, which become liquid on a reduction of temperature. In present usage, since all of the supposed permanent gases have been liquified by cold and pressure, the term has resumed nearly its original signification, and is applied to any substance in the elastic or a["e]riform state.

2. (Popular Usage)

   1. A complex mixture of gases, of which the most important constituents are marsh gas, olefiant gas, and hydrogen, artificially produced by the destructive distillation of gas coal, or sometimes of peat, wood, oil, resin, etc. It gives a brilliant light when burned, and is the common gas used for illuminating purposes.

   2. Laughing gas.

   3. Any irrespirable a["e]riform fluid.

3. same as gasoline; -- a shortened form. Also, the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term `` step on the gas''.

4. the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term `` step on the gas''.

5. Same as natural gas.

6. an exceptionally enjoyable event; a good time; as, The concert was a gas. [slang]

   Note: Gas is often used adjectively or in combination; as, gas fitter or gasfitter; gas meter or gas-meter, etc.

   Air gas (Chem.), a kind of gas made by forcing air through some volatile hydrocarbon, as the lighter petroleums. The air is so saturated with combustible vapor as to be a convenient illuminating and heating agent.

   Gas battery (Elec.), a form of voltaic battery, in which gases, especially hydrogen and oxygen, are the active agents.

   Gas carbon, Gas coke, etc. See under Carbon, Coke, etc.

   Gas coal, a bituminous or hydrogenous coal yielding a high percentage of volatile matters, and therefore available for the manufacture of illuminating gas.
   --R. W. Raymond.

   Gas engine, an engine in which the motion of the piston is produced by the combustion or sudden production or expansion of gas; -- especially, an engine in which an explosive mixture of gas and air is forced into the working cylinder and ignited there by a gas flame or an electric spark.

Gas \Gas\ (g[a^]s), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gassed (g[a^]st); p. pr. & vb. n. Gassing.]

1. (Textiles) To singe, as in a gas flame, so as to remove loose fibers; as, to gas thread.

2. To impregnate with gas; as, to gas lime with chlorine in the manufacture of bleaching powder.

3. to expose to a poisonous or noxious gas ``The protest threatened to become violent, and the police gassed the demonstrators to force them to disperse.''

1650s, from Dutch gas, probably from Greek khaos "empty space" (see chaos). The sound of Dutch "g" is roughly equivalent to that of Greek "kh." First used by Flemish chemist J.B. van Helmont (1577-1644), probably influenced by Paracelsus, who used khaos in an occult sense of "proper elements of spirits" or "ultra-rarified water," which was van Helmont's definition of gas.\n

\nModern scientific sense began 1779, with later specialization to "combustible mix of vapors" (1794, originally coal gas); "anesthetic" (1894, originally nitrous oxide); and "poison gas" (1900). Meaning "intestinal vapors" is from 1882. "The success of this artificial word is unique" [Weekley]. Slang sense of "empty talk" is from 1847; slang meaning "something exciting or excellent" first attested 1953, from earlier hepster slang gasser in the same sense (1944). Gas also meant "fun, a joke" in Anglo-Irish and was used so by Joyce (1914). As short for gasoline, it is American English, first recorded 1905.

1886, "to supply with gas," from gas (n.). Sense of "poison with gas" is from 1889 as an accidental thing, from 1915 as a military attack. Related: Gassed; gassing; gasses.

Etymology 1 n. (context uncountable chemistry English) matter in a state intermediate between liquid and plasma that can be contained only if it is fully surrounded by a solid (or in a bubble of liquid) (or held together by gravitational pull); it can condense into a liquid, or can (rarely) become a solid directly. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To kill with poisonous gas#Noun. 2 (context intransitive English) To talk, chat. Etymology 2

n. 1 (context uncountable US English) gasoline; a derivative of petroleum used as fuel. 2 (context US English) gas pedal. vb. 1 (context US English) To give a vehicle more fuel in order to accelerate it. 2 (context US English) To fill (a vehicle's fuel tank) with fuel. Etymology 3

1. (context Ireland colloquial English) comical, zany.

1. v. attack with gas; subject to gas fumes; "The despot gassed the rebellious tribes"

2. show off [syn: boast, tout, swash, shoot a line, brag, blow, bluster, vaunt, gasconade]

3. [also: gassing, gasses, gassed, gasses (pl)]

1. n. the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity; relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature; the ability to diffuse readily; and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container

2. a fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely

3. a volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines [syn: gasoline, gasolene, petrol]

4. a state of excessive gas in the alimentary canal [syn: flatulence, flatulency]

5. a pedal that controls the throttle valve; "he stepped on the gas" [syn: accelerator, accelerator pedal, gas pedal, throttle, gun]

6. a fossil fuel in the gaseous state; used for cooking and heating homes [syn: natural gas]

7. [also: gassing, gasses, gassed, gasses (pl)]

Gas is one of the four main physical states of matter (plural "gases" or "gasses"), along with solid, liquid, and plasma.

Gas may also refer to:

"Gas" is the second episode of the first series of British sitcom Bottom. It was first broadcast on Tuesday 24 September 1991.

Gas is a music project of Wolfgang Voigt (born 1961), a Cologne, Germany-based electronic musician. Voigt cites his youthful LSD experiences in the Königsforst, a German forest situated near his hometown of Köln, as the inspiration behind his work under the name Gas. He has claimed that the intention of the project is to "bring the forest to the disco, or vice-versa".

Gas was a British adult comic that was published monthly by Galaxy Publications from 1989 to 1991.

Gas was one of many such comics emulating the success of Viz, and like many of its peers (and unlike its upmarket siblings Brain Damage and Talking Turkey) was a crude copycat of the format Viz pioneered.

Initially, many strips were clearly rejected from Viz; many set in Viz's fictional town of Fulchester, but with the 'F' tippexed out (thus Gas appeared to be set in Ulchester). These strips were often of extremely poor quality, both in terms of artwork and plotting.

As the title matured, however, strips submitted for Gas became more common and the production quality increased. A number of strips from Gas resurfaced in the comic UT which ran for 18 months from 1991.

Gas ran until Volume 3, number 10 (issue 34)

Strips included:

• The Gas Family - the title strip, an antisocial mother, father, and son, with offensive body odour
• Arthur Pilkington - Chartered Barbarian - Pilkington was a bespectacled barbarian accountant in the days of Genghis Khan who got up to many finance-related shenanigans. Written and drawn by David Leach, who later sold the same idea and redrew some of the same strips for the adult humour magazine UT. David also drew several of the later issue covers for Gas in the style of the great EC comics.
• Phallas The Soap Opera and Tales Of Nambygate by Kev F. Sutherland
• Wor Jackie - A long running problem page featuring Jackie Charlton, at this time manager of the Republic of Ireland football squad. Readers would typically offer varied domestic problems, Charlton's answers would frequently liken all life's problems to events on a football pitch.

The cartoonist Dave Colton contributed many 'one off' strips and cartoons to the comic, including a small strip about the inept GP, * Doctor Bastard

Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma). A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or compound molecules made from a variety of atoms (e.g. carbon dioxide). A gas mixture would contain a variety of pure gases much like the air. What distinguishes a gas from liquids and solids is the vast separation of the individual gas particles. This separation usually makes a colorless gas invisible to the human observer. The interaction of gas particles in the presence of electric and gravitational fields are considered negligible as indicated by the constant velocity vectors in the image. One type of commonly known gas is steam.

The gaseous state of matter is found between the liquid and plasma states, the latter of which provides the upper temperature boundary for gases. Bounding the lower end of the temperature scale lie degenerative quantum gases which are gaining increasing attention. High-density atomic gases super cooled to incredibly low temperatures are classified by their statistical behavior as either a Bose gas or a Fermi gas. For a comprehensive listing of these exotic states of matter see list of states of matter.

Gas is a 2004 comedy/ drama film, directed by Henry Chan. The film stars Flex Alexander ( One on One, Love... & Other 4 Letter Words) and Khalil Kain ( Girlfriends, Love Jones).

Gas is the debut album by Wolfgang Voigt's Gas project. It is the second release under the Gas name, preceded only by the Modern EP. It was released on 29 November, 1996 on the Mille Plateaux label. Like all Gas albums, the tracks are untitled. Along with Modern, it is unusual in that the artwork does not share the unifying forest theme common to all other Gas releases.

(not to be confused with a similar sounding 1970 film Gas-s-s-s)

Gas is a 1981 Canadian comedy film released by Paramount Pictures, the plot of which was inspired by the 1979 energy crisis.

Gas is an animated short, directed by Chuck Jones and first released in May, 1944. It features Private Snafu learning the value of a gas mask in warfare. The cartoon was produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. The script writers for the Snafu cartoons were typically uncredited, though animation historians consider that several of them were written or co-written by Dr. Seuss and Munro Leaf.