Definitions for PETROLEUM
pəˈtroʊ li əmpe·tro·le·um

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.5 / 4 votes

1. petroleum, crude oil, crude, rock oil, fossil oil, oilnoun

   a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 12 votes

1. petroleumnoun

   A flammable liquid ranging in color from clear to very dark brown and black, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring naturally in deposits under earth surface.

2. Etymology: From petroleum, from petra + oleum.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Petrol, Petroleumnoun

   Petrol or petroleum is a liquid bitumen, black, floating on the water of springs. John Woodward

   Etymology: petrole, Fr.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Petroleum

   Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name petroleum covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude oil and petroleum products that consist of refined crude oil. A fossil fuel, petroleum is formed when large quantities of dead organisms, mostly zooplankton and algae, are buried underneath sedimentary rock and subjected to both prolonged heat and pressure. Petroleum is primarily recovered by oil drilling. Drilling is carried out after studies of structural geology, sedimentary basin analysis, and reservoir characterisation. Recent developments in technologies have also led to exploitation of other unconventional reserves such as oil sands and oil shale. Once extracted, oil is refined and separated, most easily by distillation, into innumerable products for direct use or use in manufacturing. Products include fuels such as gasoline (petrol), diesel, kerosene and jet fuel; asphalt and lubricants; chemical reagents used to make plastics; solvents, textiles, refrigerants, paint, synthetic rubber, fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and thousands of others. Petroleum is used in manufacturing a vast variety of materials essential for modern life, and it is estimated that the world consumes about 100 million barrels (16 million cubic metres) each day. Petroleum production can be extremely profitable and was critical to global economic development in the 20th century, with some countries, so called "oil states", gaining significant economic and international power because of their control of oil production. Petroleum exploitation and use has had significant negative environmental and social consequences. Extraction, refining and burning of petroleum fuels all release large quantities of greenhouse gases, so petroleum is one of the major contributors to climate change. Other negative environmental effects include oil spills, and air and water pollution. Some of these effects have direct and indirect health consequences for humans. Oil has also been a source of conflict, leading to both state-led-wars and other conflicts. Production of petroleum is estimated to reach peak oil before 2035 as global economies lower dependencies on petroleum as part of climate change mitigation and a transition towards renewable energy and electrification.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. petroleum

   Petroleum is a naturally-occurring, flammable liquid found beneath the Earth's surface, composed extensively of hydrocarbons and other organic compounds. This fossil fuel is extracted through drilling and refined into numerous products, the most popular being gasoline. It is used widely in industries, driving economies worldwide, and is also a crucial source of energy. However, it is a non-renewable resource with a significant environmental impact.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 2 votes

1. Petroleumnoun

   rock oil, mineral oil, or natural oil, a dark brown or greenish inflammable liquid, which, at certain points, exists in the upper strata of the earth, from whence it is pumped, or forced by pressure of the gas attending it. It consists of a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons, largely of the methane series, but may vary much in appearance, composition, and properties. It is refined by distillation, and the products include kerosene, benzine, gasoline, paraffin, etc

2. Etymology: [NL., fr. L. petra a rock + oleum oil: cf. F. ptrole. Cf. Petrify, and Oil.]

WikidataRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Petroleum

   Petroleum is a naturally occurring flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. The name Petroleum covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude oils and petroleum products that are made up of refined crude oil. A fossil fuel, it is formed when large quantities of dead organisms, usually zooplankton and algae, are buried underneath sedimentary rock and undergo intense heat and pressure. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling. This comes after the studies of structural geology, sedimentary basin analysis, reservoir characterization. It is refined and separated, most easily by boiling point, into a large number of consumer products, from petrol and kerosene to asphalt and chemical reagents used to make plastics and pharmaceuticals. Petroleum is used in manufacturing a wide variety of materials, and it is estimated that the world consumes about 90 million barrels each day.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Petroleum

   pē-trō′lē-um, n. a liquid inflammable substance issuing or pumped up from the earth in various parts of the world.—ns. Pet′rol, a spirit obtained from petroleum; Petroleur (pā-tro-lār′), one of those Parisians who, with the help of petroleum, set fire to many of the public buildings of Paris in May 1871: an incendiary:—fem. Petroleuse′.—adj. Petrolif′erous, yielding petroleum. [L. petra, rock, oleum, oil.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Petroleum

   is the common name of a series of rock oils found in large quantities in the United States and Canada, near Rangoon, and in the neighbourhood of the Caspian Sea. The oil issues from the rocks, or is drawn from subterranean reservoirs, where its presence is supposed to result from natural distillation of vegetable and animal substances, and after refining, put in the market as benzoline, paraffin, and lubricating oil. It is extensively used in the industries, and has been applied as fuel to steamships. Pétroleuse

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Petroleum

   Naturally occurring complex liquid hydrocarbons which, after distillation, yield combustible fuels, petrochemicals, and lubricants.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. petroleum

   Called also rock, mineral, or coal, oil. A natural oil widely distributed over the globe, consisting of carbon and hydrogen, in the proportion of about 88 and 12 per cent. It burns fiercely with a thick black smoke; and attempts, not yet successful, have been made to adapt it as a fuel for steamers.

Matched Categories

1. • Fossil Fuel
   • Oil

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce PETROLEUM?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say PETROLEUM in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of PETROLEUM in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of PETROLEUM in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of PETROLEUM in a Sentence

1. Getty Images:

   While not immediate, the Willow project in [the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska] is nearly shovel-ready and can provide a domestic source of oil, between the development of NPRA and the longer-term ‘1002 Area’ of ANWR, Alaska could place an additional 17 billion barrels of oil and an additional 32 trillion cubic feet of gas in the marketplace.

2. Andrew Lipow:

   That might include pressure to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which the administration indicated they were considering on Friday, to put things in context, if we were to look at Iran in total, it's exporting roughly 2.2 million barrels a day of sales, of which half is going to both China and India.

3. Paul Rhode:

   We need a reliable lock and dam infrastructure in order to have reliable river transportation.More than 60 percent of our agricultural exports move on this river, a quarter of the coal we use, a quarter of the petroleum that we use in this country [moves through here.].

4. Ayana Anderson:

   Education is needed to inform the public about the safe use of petroleum products and how to recognize a gas leak and know what steps to take to prevent explosions and fires.

5. The SPA:

   The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques gave instructions to the concerned authorities in the Kingdom to provide a package of humanitarian aid, including petroleum products, wheat and medicines.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=PETROLEUM
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Petroleum
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=PETROLEUM
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PETROLEUM
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=PETROLEUM
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=PETROLEUM
9. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Petroleum
10. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
    https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=PETROLEUM
11. ^ Usage in printed sources
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=PETROLEUM