Petroleum
/pəˈtɹoʊliəm/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA flammable liquid ranging in color from clear to very dark brown and black, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring naturally in deposits under the Earth's surface.
nameA place in the United States:, An unincorporated community in Nottingham Township, Wells County, Indiana.
Sentence Examples
The present world owes its convenient life to petroleum.
The ecologist warned us that petroleum was not merely a blessing but also a curse.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Crude ____ is a liquid found underground and refined into fuel.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The global economy is heavily dependent on ____ as a source of energy and raw materials.
Word Origin & History
Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin petroleum. Doublet of petrol.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Coal and petroleum do not occur hap-hazard in nature, but the aggregate occurrence of each product in any region forms a definite, limited horizon, which, in its continuance, is independent of the bedding plane."
— 1940, William Plotts, Isogeotherm, Or Monist Theory of Stratified Mineral Occurrence and Origin, page 7:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Crude ____ is a liquid found underground and refined into fuel.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The global economy is heavily dependent on ____ as a source of energy and raw materials.