gasolene

IPA/ɡˈasəʊlˌiːn/
IPA/ɡˈæsoʊlˌiːn/

gasolene — noun

1. the liquid fuel obtained from crude oil that powers cars, motorcycles, and other

1.nounB1
Definition

the liquid fuel obtained from crude oil that powers cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles with internal-combustion engines

Example

Amir filled his truck with gasolene before driving to the city market.

collocation: fill [vehicle] with gasolene

The price of gasolene has gone up by twelve percent this month across all stations.

Common collocations
  • fill (the car/truck) with gasolene
  • a litre/gallon of gasolene
  • run out of gasolene
  • a tank of gasolene
  • gasolene prices
  • use a lot of gasolene
  • buy gasolene
  • gasolene station
Synonyms
  • petrol

    The standard British English term for the same fuel; used in the UK, Australia, NZ, India and other Commonwealth countries

  • gas

    North American shortening of gasoline, very common in everyday speech ('I need to get some gas')

Usage Note

Gasolene is a variant spelling of gasoline, which is the standard form in American English. In British English, the common word for this fuel is petrol. The spelling gasolene was once more frequent but is now rare in both varieties.

Common Mistakes

I need to put gasolene in my car's tank at the gas station.
I need to put gasoline in my car's tank at the gas station.
Gasoline is the standard modern spelling; gasolene is an older variant.
My car runs on gasolene, so I look for a gas station.
My car runs on petrol, so I look for a petrol station.
In British English, the fuel is called petrol, not gasolene or gasoline.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Gasolene (along with its standard spelling gasoline) and petrol refer to the same liquid fuel for internal-combustion engines, but they belong to different regional varieties. Gasoline (or gasolene) is the dominant term in North America, while petrol is the standard word in British English and most Commonwealth countries. In everyday North American conversation, the short form 'gas' is far more common than gasoline ('I need gas' vs 'I need gasoline'). 'Petrol' is not shortened in the same way, though Australians and Brits may say 'fill her up with petrol' or 'a litre of petrol'. A speaker who uses 'gasolene' instead of 'gasoline' may sound old-fashioned or be using a British variant spelling — modern dictionaries label it chiefly as a variant of gasoline.

gasoline ↗petrol ↗gas ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • fill up with gasolene
  • a tank full of gasolene
  • run out of gasolene

Etymology

Englishgas-ol-ine/-ene

Gasolene was originally coined in the 1860s as a trade name for a light petroleum distillate, formed from gas (referring to gasoline's vapour) + the chemical suffix -ol (from Latin oleum 'oil') + -ine/-ene. The spelling gasolene emerged alongside gasoline; the -ene ending follows the pattern of other hydrocarbon names such as benzene and kerosene. Over time, gasoline became the dominant form in American English, while gasolene survives as a minor variant, more common in older British texts.