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definitions

petro

[ pe-troh ]
/ ˈpɛ troʊ /
|

adjective

of or relating to petroleum or the petroleum industry.

noun

Canadian. the federally owned petroleum industry.

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Nearby words

  1. petrify,
  2. petrillo,
  3. petrillo, james caesar,
  4. petrine,
  5. petrinism,
  6. petro-,
  7. petrobrusian,
  8. petrobutanol,
  9. petroccipital,
  10. petrochemical

Origin of petro

First recorded in 1970–75; independent use of petro-2

petro-

1

a combining form meaning “rock,” “stone,” used in the formation of compound words: petrology.
Also petri-; especially before a vowel, petr-.

Origin of petro-

1
< Greek, combining form of pétra rock, pétros a stone

petro-

2

a combining form meaning “petroleum,” “the extraction and export of petroleum,” used in the formation of compound words: petrochemistry; petropower.

Origin of petro-

2
extracted from petroleum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for petro

British Dictionary definitions for petro

petro-

before a vowel petr-

combining form

indicating stone or rockpetrology
indicating petroleum, its products, etcpetrochemical
of or relating to a petroleum-producing countrypetrostate

Word Origin for petro-

from Greek petra rock or petros stone
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
Word Origin and History for petro
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for petro

petro-

pref.

Rock; stone; stone-like hardness:petrous.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.