petroleum Hear it!

petroleum definition

pe·tro·leum (pə trō′lē əm)

noun

an oily, flammable, liquid solution of hydrocarbons, yellowish-green to black in color, occurring naturally in the rock strata of certain geological formations: when fractionally distilled, it yields paraffin, fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline, etc.

Etymology: ML < L petra, rock (< Gr) + oleum, oil

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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