English Dictionary

PETROLEUM

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IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does petroleum mean? 

PETROLEUM (noun)
  The noun PETROLEUM has 1 sense:

1. a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbonsplay

  Familiarity information: PETROLEUM used as a noun is very rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


PETROLEUM (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

A dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

crude; crude oil; fossil oil; oil; petroleum; rock oil

Hypernyms ("petroleum" is a kind of...):

fossil fuel (fuel consisting of the remains of organisms preserved in rocks in the earth's crust with high carbon and hydrogen content)

oil (a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water)

Meronyms (substance of "petroleum"):

atomic number 6; C; carbon (an abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "petroleum"):

resid; residual oil (oil products that remain after petroleum has been distilled)


 Context examples 


Their fossil oils are the source of the highest quality petroleum on Earth.

(Scientists discover key factors in how some algae harness solar energy, National Science Foundation)

Antioxidant used in foods, cosmetics, petroleum products, etc. It may inhibit some neoplasms and facilitate others.

(Butylated Hydroxytoluene, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Dibenzothiophene is a component of petroleum oils.

(Dibenzothiophene, NCI Thesaurus)

Carcinogenic hydrocarbons are often found in petroleum, natural gas and coal and are capable of causing cancer.

(Carcinogenic Hydrocarbon, NCI Thesaurus)

A type of oil that is made from petroleum (mixture of oily liquids found in the earth).

(Mineral oil, NCI Dictionary)

Benzidine based dyes are mainly used to color textiles, leather and paper but are also found in the rubber, plastic, soap, hair dye and petroleum industries.

(Benzidine Containing Dye, NCI Thesaurus)

Petroleum jelly is used on the skin to prevent drying and to help heal scrapes and burns.

(Petroleum jelly, NCI Dictionary)

Examples of hydrocarbons are coal, petroleum, natural gas and tar.

(Hydrocarbon, NCI Dictionary)

A thick, greasy, substance with no odor or taste made from petroleum (mixture of oily liquids found in the earth).

(Petrolatum, NCI Dictionary)

A mixture of liquid paraffinic, naphthenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum in which the amount and types of aromatic hydrocarbons is dependent on the treatment process.

(Mineral oil, NCI Thesaurus)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
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"That which is written in Heaven, comes to pass on Earth." (Corsican proverb)



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