petroleum

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a naturally occurring oily liquid mixture of hydrocarbons found in underground rock formations and refined into fuels and chemical products; crude oil

   The refinery separates petroleum into fuels, lubricants, and chemical feedstocks.

Appears in

From Medieval Latin petroleum, literally "rock oil," from Latin petra ("rock") + oleum ("oil"). Petrol is a later shortening from the same word and therefore an etymological doublet.

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External links

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