• 1. a dark-coloured thick flammable crude oil occurring in sedimentary rocks around the Persian Gulf, in parts of North and South America, and below the North Sea, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. Fractional distillation separates the crude oil into petrol, paraffin, diesel oil, lubricating oil, etc Fuel oil, paraffin wax, asphalt, and carbon black are extracted from the residue
• 2. C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin petra stone + oleum oil

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