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gasoline

American  
[gas-uh-leen, gas-uh-leen] / ˌgæs əˈlin, ˈgæs əˌlin /

noun

  1. a volatile, flammable liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, obtained from petroleum, and used as fuel for internal-combustion engines, as a solvent, etc.

gasoline British  
/ ˌɡæsəˈlɪnɪk, ˈɡæsəˌliːn /

noun

  1. Also called (esp in Britain): petrol.  any one of various volatile flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, mainly hexane, heptane, and octane, obtained from petroleum and used as a solvent and a fuel for internal-combustion engines. Usually petrol also contains additives such as antiknock compounds and corrosion inhibitors

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
gasoline Scientific  
/ găs′ə-lēn′ /

  1. A highly flammable mixture of liquid hydrocarbons that are derived from petroleum. The hydrocarbons in gasoline contain between five and eight carbon atoms. Gasoline is used as a fuel for internal-combustion engines in automobiles, motorcycles, and small trucks.

Other Word Forms

  • gasolineless adjective
  • gasolinic adjective

Etymology

Origin of gasoline

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; gas + -ol 2 + -ine 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even if gasoline tops $4 a gallon in coming days, that is a third less, adjusted for inflation, than in 2008, when oil hit records.

From The Wall Street Journal

The extremely high prices at some gas stations in California “are not supported by current crude oil prices or gasoline futures,” the division said.

From Los Angeles Times

Consumers are quick to complain about higher prices in the grocery aisle, at the coffee shop, and especially at the pump, where gasoline is heading toward a national average of $4 a gallon.

From Barron's

Americans are seeing higher prices at gasoline pumps as a result, while the standstill at Hormuz has affected container shipping as well, with shipping companies opting for longer, costlier routes to avoid danger.

From MarketWatch

If this energy crisis continues, many will be vacationing locally this summer to avoid airline or gasoline costs.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.