fuel oil

noun

: an oil that is used for fuel and that usually has a higher flash point than kerosene

Examples of fuel oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At the border in Ivangorod, spikes of barbed wire pierced the azure sky and smoke from burning fuel oil rose from the chimneys of the customs building. Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024 Nearly all of it is enabled by burning heavy fuel oil, but that is beginning to change. Cara Buckley, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2023 To give an example, an Exxon refinery in Singapore used to produce fuel oil that sold for $10 per barrel below the price of Brent crude, but after a recent upgrade, the facility produces lubricant base stocks that sell for $50 above Brent. Kevin Crowley, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2023 The Post could not determine the precise amount of Russian-origin fuel oil in the products the Pentagon purchases. Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023 Consumers that use fuel oil or electricity to heat their homes continue to experience higher costs, with fuel oil prices up 9.2% for the past 12 months, electricity up 12.9% and natural gas up 14.3%. Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2023 But the cruise industry comes with a dirty underbelly, tied to rampant waste production, port overtourism, and carbon emissions generated by the heavy fuel oil (HFO), or bunker fuel, that cruise ships primarily use. Elissa Garay, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2023 Most of the categories rose led by fuel oil at 8.5 percent, followed by gasoling at 2.1 percent and hospital services at 1.5 percent. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2023 Exxon has already reduced production of fuel oil and high-sulfur petroleum at refineries in Singapore and the UK. Kevin Crowley, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fuel oil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fuel oil was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near fuel oil

Cite this Entry

“Fuel oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuel%20oil. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fuel oil

noun
: an oil that is used for fuel and that usually ignites at a higher temperature than kerosene

More from Merriam-Webster on fuel oil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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