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Synonyms

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.

That should bring relief for retail customers at the pump, where surging petrol prices in recent weeks have forced many countries to take measures to reduce consumption and protect the most vulnerable.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

It is then distributed to the two petrol garages in the island.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Diesel was for a long time cheaper than petrol.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

In televised remarks, he said the nation had 39 days worth of petrol, 29 days worth of diesel and 30 days worth of jet fuel in reserve.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

He parked his car next to Aunty Ifeoma’s station wagon and took out a can of petrol and a garden hose that had been cut to a quarter of its length.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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.