gasoline

noun

gas·​o·​line ˈga-sə-ˌlēn How to pronounce gasoline (audio)
ˌga-sə-ˈlēn,
 also  -zə-
variants or less commonly gasolene
: a volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel especially for internal combustion engines and usually blended from several products of natural gas and petroleum
gasolinic adjective

Examples of gasoline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This was at least the fourth Ukrainian attack on Russian oil facilities in the last week, continuing a campaign that accelerated over the summer and has led to gasoline shortages in parts of Russia. Tim Lister, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025 The gasoline engine produces up to 99 horsepower and 93 lb-ft of torque, while the electric motor delivers 161 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025 Niki Woodard, a spokesperson for the California Energy Commission, said the El Segundo fire is expected to hit jet-fuel supplies harder than gasoline, with jet-fuel prices jumping about 30 cents Friday and and negligible changes at the pump in the wake of the incident. Calmatters, Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2025 Jet fuel prices already have jumped about 13%—an increase of 30 cents per gallon—since the fire, according to the California Energy Commission, while larger gasoline price hikes are expected next year, especially when and if Benicia closes. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gasoline

Word History

Etymology

gas entry 1 + -ol entry 2 + -ine entry 2 or -ene

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gasoline was in 1865

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gasoline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gasoline. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

gasoline

noun
gas·​o·​line ˈgas-ə-ˌlēn How to pronounce gasoline (audio)
ˌgas-ə-ˈlēn
: a flammable liquid produced usually by blending products from natural gas and petroleum and used especially as a fuel for engines

More from Merriam-Webster on gasoline

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