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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

On Monday, the price of unleaded fuel in Alderney was £2.30 per litre, and diesel was £2.58, making it one of the most expensive places to buy petrol in the British Isles.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

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

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

In France, the price of regular petrol has gone up by just 17 percent, according to government statistics consulted by AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

It was extremely difficult to start, and he always had to unscrew the sparking-plug and pour petrol into the cylinder.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl

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.