# petrol

/ˈpɛtɹoʊɫ/ (US) · /pˈɛtɹəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/petrol
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. a type of engine or car

noun · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal

a car that uses petrol instead of diesel or electricity.

For teachers: a vehicle or engine powered by petrol, often used when comparing different fuel types. Usually uncountable when referring to the category.

- Is your new car a petrol or a diesel?
- With the new environmental regulations, many commuters are trading in their older diesels for modern petrol or hybrid models.

### 3. to fill with fuel

verb · CEFR C2 · British English · Archaic

to put fuel into a vehicle.

For teachers: to supply or fill a vehicle with petrol. This transitive use is less common in modern speech than the phrasal verb 'fill up'.

- We stopped at the station to petrol the car before the long drive.
- The expedition team had to petrol their vehicles at the final outpost before venturing into the unmapped desert regions.

## Examples

- I need to stop at the station to get some petrol.
- The car ran out of petrol on the motorway, so we had to call for roadside assistance.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.