petroleum

[puh-troh-lee-uhm]

noun

1. an oily, thick, flammable, usually dark-colored liquid that is a form of bitumen or a mixture of various hydrocarbons, occurring naturally in various parts of the world and commonly obtained by drilling: used in a natural or refined state as fuel, or separated by distillation into gasoline, naphtha, benzene, kerosene, paraffin, etc.

petroleum

/ pəˈtrəʊlɪəm /

noun

1. a dark-coloured thick flammable crude oil occurring in sedimentary rocks around the Persian Gulf, in parts of North and South America, and below the North Sea, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. Fractional distillation separates the crude oil into petrol, paraffin, diesel oil, lubricating oil, etc. Fuel oil, paraffin wax, asphalt, and carbon black are extracted from the residue

petroleum

1. A thick, flammable, yellow-to-black mixture of gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons that occurs naturally beneath the Earth's surface. It can be separated into fractions including natural gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, paraffin wax, asphalt, and fuel and lubricating oils, and is used as raw material for a wide variety of derivative products. It is believed to originate from the accumulated remains of fossil plants and animals, especially in shallow marine environments.

Other Word Forms

• petroleous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of petroleum¹

1520–30; < Medieval Latin: literally, rock oil, equivalent to Latin petr ( a ) rock (< Greek pétra ) + oleum oil

Word History and Origins

Origin of petroleum¹

C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin petra stone + oleum oil

Example Sentences

Strategic petroleum reserves designed to calm markets after a major supply shock may remain unused because the market calms and readjusts on its own.

Read more on Barron's

Reliance is the first major Indian refiner to formally detail its transition ahead of the European Union's January 2026 deadline, when imports of petroleum products refined from Russian oil in third countries will be prohibited.

Read more on Barron's

Storage locations, which include peak shaving facilities, underground gas storage sites, and petroleum product terminals, have over 6 million nearby residents.

Read more on Science Daily

Alberta's main export by far is crude petroleum, and it has long defended its oil and gas industry as vital to Canada's economic growth.

Read more on BBC

Sales of petroleum products also were up strongly in the latest month, which in part reflected a recovery following maintenance shutdowns in August.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• crude oil 
• fossil fuel 
• fuel 
• gas 
• gasoline 
• kerosene 
• natural gas 
• petrol