gasoline

[gas-uh-leen, gas-uh-leen]

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

/ 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

gasoline

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gasoline¹

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

Example Sentences

U.S. retail gasoline prices haven’t budged since last Thanksgiving, providing households a bit more breathing room from inflation that’s still too high for the Federal Reserve’s liking.

Read more on MarketWatch

California already pays more for gasoline than any other state, with prices currently hovering around $4.63 a gallon compared with the U.S. average of $3.10, according to AAA.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As American consumers continue to fret over rising food prices, the cost of gasoline is less of a worry.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The control group measure—which strips out autos, building materials, gasoline, and restaurant spending and feeds into gross domestic product growth calculations—declined by 0.1% month over month.

Read more on Barron's

Californians pay about $1.40 more for a gallon of gasoline than the national average, up from a $0.30 premium 15 years ago.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• diesel fuel 
• juice 
• oil 
• petrol