gasoline

American  

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

noun

gasolines plural

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

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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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gasolineless
  adjective
• gasolinic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gasolines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gasoline

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

Example Sentences

Find insight on Gasoline consumption in Canada and more in the latest Market Talks covering the auto and transport sector.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Gasoline prices don’t adjust immediately to crude oil changes because the effect moves through the supply chain—taking weeks to travel through pipelines, process at refineries, and be distributed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

Gasoline sales skyrocketed 26.5% on an annual basis.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

Gasoline prices took the biggest bite out of consumer spending power, with prices up 41% in May from a year earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

Gasoline was rationed, and the lines of automobiles could last two days and a night, constricting the city like a gigantic motionless boa tanning itself in the sun.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• diesel fuel
• juice
• oil
• petrol