ENGLISH
REFERENCE

petrol

n. uncountable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈpɛtɹoʊɫ// UK //pˈɛtɹəl// petrol Archaic General-service Informal

n. the liquid fuel you put in a car to make it go. In American English, people call this gas.

n. a volatile, flammable liquid mixture of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum and used as fuel in internal combustion engines.


SIMPLE

I need to stop at the station to get some petrol.

CONTEXTUAL

The car ran out of petrol on the motorway, so we had to call for roadside assistance.

COMPLEX

Fluctuations in the global price of crude oil directly influence the retail cost of petrol, impacting the monthly budgets of millions of commuters who rely on private vehicles.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from French (essence de) pétrole, from Medieval Latin petroleum, from Ancient Greek πετρέλαιον (petrélaion, “oil of the rock”), from πέτρα (pétra, “stone, rock”)+ ἔλαιον (élaion, “olive oil, any oily substance”). Doublet of petroleum.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the fuel generally; countable only when referring to specific types or grades of the fuel.

Pitfall

I need to buy some gasoline in London.I need to buy some petrol in London.While 'gasoline' is correct in American English, 'petrol' is the standard term used in British English and most other English-speaking regions.

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