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Definition of petroleum in English:

petroleum

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noun

  • A liquid mixture of hydrocarbons that is present in certain rock strata and can be extracted and refined to produce fuels including gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oil; oil.

    ‘Liquid paraffin is a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum.’
    • ‘Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid hydrocarbon derived from petroleum.’
    • ‘Eocene formations are important source or reservoir rocks for petroleum or gas in several parts of the world.’
    • ‘Products produced from petroleum, such as mineral oils, are classified as petrochemical pollutants.’
    • ‘Crude oil, also known as petroleum, is the world's most actively traded commodity.’
    lubricant, lubrication, grease

Pronunciation

petroleum

/pəˈtrōlēəm/ /pəˈtroʊliəm/

Origin

Late Middle English from medieval Latin, from Latin petra ‘rock’ (from Greek) + Latin oleum ‘oil’.