petroleum

American  

[puh-troh-lee-uhm] / pəˈtroʊ li əm /

noun

1. an oily, thick, flammable, usually dark-colored liquid that is a form of bitumen or a mixture of various hydrocarbons, occurring naturally in various parts of the world and commonly obtained by drilling: used in a natural or refined state as fuel, or separated by distillation into gasoline, naphtha, benzene, kerosene, paraffin, etc.

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petroleum British  

/ pəˈtrəʊlɪəm /

noun

1. a dark-coloured thick flammable crude oil occurring in sedimentary rocks around the Persian Gulf, in parts of North and South America, and below the North Sea, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. Fractional distillation separates the crude oil into petrol, paraffin, diesel oil, lubricating oil, etc. Fuel oil, paraffin wax, asphalt, and carbon black are extracted from the residue

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petroleum Scientific  

/ pə-trō′lē-əm /

1. A thick, flammable, yellow-to-black mixture of gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons that occurs naturally beneath the Earth's surface. It can be separated into fractions including natural gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, paraffin wax, asphalt, and fuel and lubricating oils, and is used as raw material for a wide variety of derivative products. It is believed to originate from the accumulated remains of fossil plants and animals, especially in shallow marine environments.

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Other Word Forms

• petroleous adjective

Etymology

Origin of petroleum

1520–30; < Medieval Latin: literally, rock oil, equivalent to Latin petr ( a ) rock (< Greek pétra ) + oleum oil

Compare meaning

How does petroleum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• petrolatum vs. petroleum

Example Sentences

Alberta, after all, is home to the world’s fourth-largest petroleum reserves.

From The Wall Street Journal

Analysts say Iran could close the world’s busiest oil thoroughfare, the Strait of Hormuz, which sees roughly 20 million barrels of petroleum running through it daily, equivalent to almost a fifth of global oil demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

While the crude oil produced in Cuba powers the country's power plants, the island is dependent on imports for diesel and liquefied petroleum gas.

From Barron's

About one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption—roughly 20 million barrels a day —flowed through the strait in 2024, according to the U.S.

From Barron's

“Our biggest problem is depression and anxiety,” says Manuel Polanco, 74, a former petroleum engineer whose recollections of the good times only highlight a dystopian present.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crude oil
• fossil fuel
• fuel
• gas
• gasoline
• kerosene
• natural gas
• petrol