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.

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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

• gasolineless
  adjective
• gasolinic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of gasoline

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

Example Sentences

But what about cars that don’t use gasoline at all?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

This set of results will be the first time that most major retailers report on consumer behavior since gasoline prices skyrocketed across the country in response to the Iran war.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Of the travelers, 87% are expected to drive despite the noticeable rise in gasoline prices since the end of February.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Since then, the average price of gasoline per gallon in the U.S. has climbed 50%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

There was a slight smell of gasoline in the air, and even the glowworms whirling aimlessly through the night didn't seem to know what had brought them to this place.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Related Words

• diesel fuel
• juice
• oil
• petrol