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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

Etymology

Origin of gasoline

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

Vocabulary lists containing gasoline

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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.

Gasoline prices have shot up to an average $4.40 a gallon from less than $3 a few months ago — and they might hit $5 by Memorial Day.

From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026

Gasoline prices in the U.S. were around $4.26 a gallon on average this week, as a MarketWatch report noted.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Gasoline stocks were expected to have fallen by 2.1 million barrels.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Gasoline prices have also been hit hard by the global conflict.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 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

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.