petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
| \ pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
Definition of petroleum
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
Examples of petroleum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Imports also fell, 1.7% to $261.5 billion, on declines in crude oil and petroleum products. — Washington Post, "US trade deficit falls 0.3% in June," 2 Aug. 2019 The materials used will resist deterioration when exposed to petroleum based liquids like oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The 10 Best Work Boots for Any Type of Job," 2 Aug. 2019 Alaska has for 37 years paid its residents a dividend out of its petroleum fund. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, "What is universal basic income? Here are the basics," 1 Aug. 2019 BP Capital isn't totally giving up on petroleum — the firm will continue to offer a pipeline ETF, for example. — Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, "ETF trading under T. Boone Pickens' moniker to replace crude stocks with 'low-carbon economy' leaders," 29 July 2019 Researchers have long known that humans can cause earthquakes by injecting fluid into the ground—a technique used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to break open rocks and release natural gas or petroleum. — Michael Price, Science | AAAS, "Sea of Galilee earthquakes triggered by excessive water pumping," 26 July 2019 Tyco’s firefighting foams contain PFAS, which are key ingredients in smothering fires, particularly those involving petroleum that can occur at airports and military installations. — Lee Bergquist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "DNR asking 125 municipal wastewater plants to test for contaminants known as 'forever' chemicals," 22 July 2019 Golf balls are covered in plastic, with rubber and resin cores that often contain petroleum byproducts, zinc and heavy metals. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, "Plastics pollution? Course urged golfers to hit balls into Lake Michigan," 22 July 2019 Upcoming political events in the Bay Area: THURSDAY Richmond coal: Rally to support phasing out coal and petroleum coke operations at the Levin-Richmond Terminal. — SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area political events: Coal in Richmond, countering climate change," 18 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'petroleum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for petroleum
petroleum
noun
English Language Learners Definition of petroleum
: a kind of oil that comes from below the ground and that is the source of gasoline and other products
See the full definition for petroleum in the English Language Learners Dictionary
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
| \ pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
, -ˈtrōl-yəm\
Kids Definition of petroleum
: a raw oil that is obtained from wells drilled in the ground and that is the source of gasoline, kerosene, and other oils used for fuel
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
| \ pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm, -ˈtrōl-yəm
\
\
Medical Definition of petroleum
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
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