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• petrol
  petrol

  noun

  gasoline.
• petrol.
  petrol.

  abbreviation

  petrology.

petrol

¹ American  

[pe-truhl] / ˈpɛ trəl /

noun

1. British. gasoline.

2. Archaic. petroleum.

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verb (used with object)

petrolled, petrolling

1. British. to clean with gasoline.

petrol. ² American  

abbreviation

1. petrology.

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petrol. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. petrology

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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

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Etymology

Origin of petrol

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

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Explanation

Petrol is a fuel derived from petroleum. If you are American, you probably call petrol "gas." When the price of petrol goes up, lots of people complain, because petrol is gasoline. Petrol is the fuel used in many types of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, motorboats, and airplanes. Petrol is derived from petroleum, and besides smelling bad, it's very flammable. If you light a match near petrol, there will be an explosion. Since petrol comes from petroleum, petrol is a fossil fuel.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

petrol petrol. petrolling

With prices at Myanmar's petrol pumps nearly double what they were in late February, the underground "black gold" is an increasingly coveted prize of war.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

"Anyar Dubai" has been "going viral" for its plentiful supply, said rebel spokesman Pyae Phyo Kyaw, at a time when Myanmar military-held areas have been rationing petrol.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

They also want to end the war in Iran, which they link to petrol prices averaging $4.18 a gallon, marking an increase of nearly 40%.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Rising inflation, driven primarily by the cost of petrol and diesel, will push policymakers into an interest rate hike, analysts suggest.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 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

"We were stuck with no petrol. So we couldn't move. We had to cancel all our plans," 43-year-old tourist Neagu told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

“We are appealing to the government to intervene in the ever-increasing price of food and petrol. We cannot even afford to pay for transport.”

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2022

"I don't know anyone in my circle of poor university grads that has been able to afford a full tank of petrol. I don't know anyone who doesn't regularly skip meals," says Ms Anwar.

From BBC ● May 1, 2022

"Of course it's a huge problem to get ambulances in a war zone, a huge problem to get petrol. The ambulances are often partly falling apart and we have to keep finding solutions," he said.

From Reuters ● Apr. 4, 2022

“She calls gasoline petrol. A motorcycle is a motorbike and a truck, a lorry.”

From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg

There was Mrs. Spankham with a superb model of Westminster Abbey—its petrolling had been the greatest stroke in convincing the voters of the pure motives of the feminists.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, March 11, 1914 by Sir Owen Seaman

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Related Words

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