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Glite Dictionary
gas main

gas main

4 3.2
A big pipe that carries gas to homes and buildings
  • noun
  • /ɡæs meɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : conducto principal de gas
  • The contractor accidentally hit a gas main while digging, causing a significant disruption in service.
  • gas main leak
  • natural gas main
  • gas main break

Examples

  • Jo turned off the gas main right off, or who knows but the whole house would be gone by now.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Did you hear about the gas main explosions in Hong Kong?

    Geostorm (2017)

  • They said he had gone in to check a leaking gas main.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • On Sept. 27, National Grid and its contractor were working on filling in an old gas main that is no longer in service with cement, the energy company said in a statement.

    Blog text (15)

  • NJNG expects to have pressurized gas mains in Seaside Heights by the end of the year.

    Blog text (33)

  • Firefighters quickly evacuated the area after discovering a leak in the gas main near the school.

  • Residents reported a strong smell of gas, leading the utility company to inspect the gas main in the neighborhood.

Synonyms

main
vsgas main
  • Specialized
27 4.2

A large pipe that carries water, gas or sewage

refers specifically to a large pipe for distributing gas locally
gas line
vsgas main
  • Specialized
9 2.6

A pipe that carries natural gas to a home or building

is focused on local distribution within towns cities or building complexes

How Big

pipeline
106 3.7
gas main
  • Specialized
4 3.2
gas line
  • Specialized
9 2.6

Surface Forms

gas main singular
gas mains plural

Morphology

gas + main

The meaning 'a large pipe that distributes gas' is directly and compositionally derived from 'gas' (the fuel) + 'main' (primary conduit), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the referent. This noun+noun compound follows a common, cross‑linguistic construction for utility pipelines and technical contexts, making the phrase predictable and transparent.

Etymology

Gas main shows a simple, literal picture: gas is the fuel and main is the big, central pipe that runs under streets. So gas main means the large pipe that carries gas through a town or into buildings.