crude oil
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of crude oil
First recorded in 1860–65
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.
In April, exports rose 2.6 percent to $327.1 billion, fueled by crude oil, fuel oil and other petroleum products.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
OTTAWA—Canada’s goods-trade surplus with the world widened to the biggest in more than a year as shipments of crude oil and vehicles to the U.S. drove exports to record high.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The steep cut comes as China, the world’s largest crude oil buyer, drastically lowered crude imports as weaker refining activity and lower refined-product exports weigh on domestic operations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
"Fire whirls burn through crude oil spills nearly twice as fast as in-situ fire pools, potentially giving cleanup crews faster operational and response times to eliminating the oils from spreading," Oran said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
Her tone couldn’t have held more wonder and censure if Zooey’s pores had been exuding crude oil.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
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.
