GAS

n. Ga2s. Probably related to Ger., Geist, spirit. Fr., gaz. Ger., G. It., Sp., g. An aeriform fluid whose particles tend continually to diverge from each other, so that the body itself tends constantly to increase in volume in all directions, and fills the whole of the ve el in which it is contained. The term was first employed by Van Helmont, who applied it to the exhalation arising from fermenting vegetable substances. The term without qualification denotes in common parlance illuminating g. [B.] Acid g. See Calcareous 0. Air-g. Illuminating g. made by charging air with a combustible g., e. g., with the vapor of certain hydrocarbons. [B, 116.] -Alcoholic 'g. Alcohol volatilized into the state of vapor. [B, 91.] Alkali gen g. A name originally O. no; Oa, not; O3, whole; Th, thin; Th", the; U, like oo in too; [s. 149]