petroleum
UK/pә'trәuliәm/US
IELTSTOEFLGREA2
Definitions
n.
A naturally occurring flammable liquid made mostly of hydrocarbons, found beneath the earth's surface and refined into fuels; crude oil.
石油，原油（天然存在于地下、主要由碳氢化合物组成的可燃液体，可提炼成各种燃料）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpetr (Greek petra, rock) + -o- + oleum (Latin, oil) = "rock oil." The name records how it was first found: an oily liquid seeping up out of the rock, not pressed from olives or fat. Refine this rock oil and you get petrol and other fuels.
Root petr still carries 6 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.petroleum industry石油工业
- 2.petroleum products石油产品
- 3.crude petroleum原油
- 4.petroleum reserves石油储量
Example Sentences
- 1.
Most of the world's energy still comes from burning petroleum.
- 2.
The country's economy depends heavily on petroleum exports.
- 3.
Plastics, fertilizers, and fuels are all made from petroleum.