Petroleum
[pɪ'trəʊlɪəm] or [pə'trolɪəm]
Definition
(n.) 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.
Checked by Felicia
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. Rock-oil, mineral oil, mineral pitch, mineral tar, Barbadoes tar, Seneca oil.
Checked by Kenneth
Definition
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.
Editor: Val
Examples
- The amount of petroleum produced in the United States in 1896 was 60,960,361 barrels, the largest yield on record. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- The petroleum wells of America are of the same technical description. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- Among the more familiar products of coal tar or petroleum are moth balls, carbolic acid, benzine, vaseline, and paraffine. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- With the discovery and development of the oil wells in the United States about 1860 a new fuel was found in the crude petroleum, as well as a source of light. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- Brayton of the United States in 1873 invented a very efficient engine in which the vapour of petroleum mixed with air constituted the fuel. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- The solvent employed was a mixture of one part of oil of lavender, and ten parts of oil of petroleum. Frederick C. Bakewell. Great Facts.
- The discovery of petroleum and its introduction as a light produced a revolution in the construction of lamps. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- Adolf Spiel of Berlin has also recently invented a petroleum engine. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- On the contrary, in America, especially after the petroleum wells were opened up, and nature supplied the hydro-carbon in roaring wells and fountains, water gas came to the front. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- The night-watchman, Alfred Swanson, took care of this curious plant, which consisted of a battery of petroleum lamps that were forced to burn to the sooting point. Frank Lewis Dyer. Edison, His Life and Inventions.
Edited by Jimmy