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petrol

1 American  
[pe-truhl] / ˈpɛ trəl /

noun

  1. British. gasoline.

  2. Archaic. petroleum.

verb (used with object)

petrolled, petrolling

  1. British. to clean with gasoline.

petrol. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. petrology.

petrol. 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. petrology

"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
petrol 2 British  
/ ˈpɛtrəl /

noun

  1. US and Canadian name: gasoline.  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

Etymology

Origin of petrol

1590–1600; < Middle French petrole < Medieval Latin petroleum petroleum

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.

The Forestry Commission said the firm had illegally felled mixed broadleaf woodland beside a petrol station in 2019.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

In Australia, petrol prices have climbed as some 600 stations across the country were missing at least one fuel type.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Albanese has previously sought to reassure motorists that shipments of fuel continue to arrive in Australia, and petrol shortages in rural towns stem from panic buying and distribution bottlenecks.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

"With the cost of living, the price of food, petrol, gas and electric. It's dire. There's no money left."

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Gulping in long, sweet lungfuls of it, cold damp December air, smelling of petrol and coal smoke and freedom.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

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.