petrol

/ˈpɛtrəl/

/ˈpɛtrəl/

Petrol is a fuel derived from petroleum. If you are American, you probably call petrol "gas."

When the price of petrol goes up, lots of people complain, because petrol is gasoline. Petrol is the fuel used in many types of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, motorboats, and airplanes. Petrol is derived from petroleum, and besides smelling bad, it's very flammable. If you light a match near petrol, there will be an explosion. Since petrol comes from petroleum, petrol is a fossil fuel.

Definitions of petrol

1. noun

   a volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines
   synonyms: gas, gasolene, gasoline

   types:

   leaded gasoline, leaded petrol

   gasoline treated with a lead compound to reduce motor knocks

   napalm

   gasoline jelled with aluminum soaps; highly incendiary liquid used in fire bombs and flamethrowers

   unleaded gasoline, unleaded petrol

   gasoline that has not been treated with a lead compound

   type of:

   fuel

   a substance that can be consumed to produce energy

   hydrocarbon

   an organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen