Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense fuels, present participle fuelling, past tense, past participle fuelledregional note: in AM, use fueling, fueled
1. variable noun
Fuel is a substance such as coal, oil, or petrol that is burned to provide heat or power.
They ran out of fuel.
...industrial research into cleaner fuels.
Synonyms: petrol, oil, gas [US, Canadian, New Zealand], gasoline [US] More Synonyms of fuel
2. verb
To fuel a situation means to make it become worse or more intense.
The result will inevitably fuel speculation about the Prime Minister's future. [VERB noun]
The economic boom was fueled by easy credit. [beVERB-ed]
Synonyms: inflame, power, charge, fire More Synonyms of fuel
3.
See add fuel to something
More Synonyms of fuel
fuel in British English
(fjʊəl)
noun
1.
any substance burned as a source of heat or power, such as coal or petrol
2.
a.
the material, containing a fissile substance, such as uranium-235, that produces energy in a nuclear reactor
b.
a substance that releases energy in a fusion reactor
3.
something that nourishes or builds up emotion, action, etc
verbWord forms: fuels, fuelling, fuelledWord forms: USfuels, fueling or fueled
4.
to supply with or receive fuel
Derived forms
fueller (ˈfueller) or US fueler (ˈfueler)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French feuaile, from feu fire, ultimately from Latin focus fireplace, hearth
fuel in American English
(ˈfjuəl; fjul)
noun
1.
any material, as coal, oil, gas, wood, etc., burned to supply heat or power
2.
fissile material from which nuclear energy can be obtained, as in a nuclear reactor
3.
anything that maintains or intensifies strong feeling, etc.
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈfueled or ˈfuelled, ˈfueling or ˈfuelling
4.
to supply with fuel
verb intransitive
5.
to get fuel
Derived forms
fueler (ˈfueler)
noun or ˈfueller
Word origin
ME fewell < OFr fouaille < ML fuale, focale < foca, hearth, for L focus, fireplace: see focus
fuel in Automotive Engineering
(fyuəl)
Word forms: (regular plural) fuels
noun
(Automotive engineering: Fuels, oils, emissions, and other fluids)
Fuel is a substance such as coal, oil, or gasoline that is burned to provide heat or power.
Gasoline, LPG, hydrogen and other forms of fuel.
We all have a good idea how far our car will run on a full tank of fuel.
The engine has to work harder and uses more fuel when going uphill.
Types of fuel include:bio-dieselcetanefossil fuelsgasolineLPG
fuel in Chemical Engineering
(fyuəl)
noun (count) (noncount)
(Chemical Engineering: Energy and sustainability)
Fuel is a substance or material which produces energy when it burns or decomposes.
Gaseous fuel means a material that is in the gaseous state at standard atmospheric temperatureand pressure conditions and that is combusted to produce heat or energy.
Quick, efficient combustion depends on properties of the fuel, such as the volatility and octane number of gasolines.
Fuel is a substance or material which produces energy when it burns or decomposes.
fuel cell
ProcessesThe following processes are connected with fuel and the production of energy:carbonizationcogenerationcombustionfiringgeneration
fuel in Mechanical Engineering
(fyuəl)
Word forms: (regular plural) fuels
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Energy, thermodynamics and heat transfer)
A fuel is a material used to generate energy when it is burned.
The coal, wood, or other fuel in a steam engine burns to create steam.
Ignition occurs as fuel is injected into the compressed and heated air.
A fuel is a material used to generate energy when it is burned.
More idioms containing
fuel
add fuel to the fire
Examples of 'fuel' in a sentence
fuel
There will be no interruption to fuel supply.
The Sun (2016)
The agreement means making serious cuts in the reliance on fossil fuels.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Fuel cells will power many of the onboard features.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The fuel supply chain is making opportunistic profits while sterling tanks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
These provide fuel for a week.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Coal was then used for fuel.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The deal with Japan has added fuel to the fire.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Central banks fuelled the boom in government bonds by buying trillions of dollars through QE.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Some economists predict that inflation will hit 3 per cent by the end of next year as imports of food and fuel become more expensive.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They are just adding fuel to the fire.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
That leaves just about enough fuel in the tank to hold.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Therefore it makes a better reactor fuel and also a better bomb.
Fisher, David E. Fire and Ice - the Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Depletion, and Nuclear Winter (1990)
Powered by a fuel cell instead of a chemical battery.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They would also guarantee the supply of fuel for the reactor.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Fracking holds the promise of a new era of cheap fuel and energy security.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The government has been encouraging people to use wood rather than gas and coal as domestic fuel.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The growing strength of sunshine in the northern hemisphere is fuelling heat waves in many regions.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The car fuel for the future has to be diesel.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
What ensued was an unsustainable consumer and investment boom fuelled by debt.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They can switch from fossil fuels to less polluting energy sources.
Radford, Tim & Leggett, Jeremy The Crisis of Life on Earth - our legacy from the second millenium (1990)
The bond issue certainly provided fuel for the bears on the stock.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But as oil supplies dwindle it may have finally become the fuel of the future.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
She is not going to fuel the fire.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Low enrichment is used to fuel reactors.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It expects solar and wind power and fuel cells to be the big growth areas.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
These provide the main fuel for energy supply.
MacIntyre, Anne M. E. Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome - How To Live With It (1989)
Burning a pound of fuel oil produces about twice as much energy as burning a pound of coal.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Also, diesel cars use less fuel than petrol cars and so give out less carbon dioxide.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The Conservatives claim the credit for keeping fuel duty frozen for the past four years.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Early models also had no fuel gauge, adding an exciting element of uncertainty to car trips.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Their claims about improved fuel efficiency and so on are less clear-cut.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We secured the fires, stopped the fuel oil pump and left.
Max Hastings Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 194445 (2007)
Most of these cars have diesel engines, which tend to be more fuel efficient than petrol engines.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Word lists with
fuel
Industrial oils
In other languages
fuel
British English: fuel /fjʊəl/ NOUN
Fuel is a substance such as coal, oil, or petrol that is burned to provide heat or power.
...the fuel necessary to heat their homes.
American English: fuel
Arabic: وَقُود
Brazilian Portuguese: combustível
Chinese: 燃料
Croatian: gorivo
Czech: palivo
Danish: brændstof
Dutch: brandstof
European Spanish: combustible
Finnish: polttoaine
French: carburant
German: Brennstoff
Greek: καύσιμο
Italian: carburante
Japanese: 燃料
Korean: 연료
Norwegian: drivstoff
Polish: paliwo
European Portuguese: combustível
Romanian: combustibil
Russian: топливо
Latin American Spanish: combustible
Swedish: bränsle
Thai: เชื้อเพลิง
Turkish: yakıt
Ukrainian: пальне
Vietnamese: nhiên liệu
British English: fuel VERB
To fuel a situation means to make it become worse or more intense.
The result will inevitably fuel speculation about the Prime Minister's future.
American English: fuel
Brazilian Portuguese: alimentar
Chinese: 加剧
European Spanish: alimentar
French: alimenter
German: anfachen
Italian: alimentare
Japanese: あおる
Korean: 부채질하다
European Portuguese: alimentar
Latin American Spanish: alimentar
All related terms of 'fuel'
flex-fuel
relating to cars or engines that can run on more than one type of fuel , usually petrol and ethanol
fuel bill
A bill is a written statement of money that you owe for goods or services.
fuel cell
a cell in which the energy produced by oxidation of a fuel is converted directly into electrical energy
fuel flow
Fuel flow is the movement of oil or gas through delivery pipes .
fuel oil
a liquid petroleum product having a flash point above 37.8°C: used as a substitute for coal in industrial furnaces , domestic heaters , ships, and locomotives
fuel pump
A fuel pump is a mechanical or electrical pump that draws fuel from a tank to provide the fuel supply for a carburetor or fuel injection system.
fuel rail
A fuel rail is high pressure tubing which takes fuel to the injectors in an internal combustion engine.
fuel rod
Fuel rods are metal tubes containing nuclear fuel. They are used in some nuclear reactors.
fuel tank
a container inside a vehicle that holds fuel
hog fuel
wood chips or shavings , residue from sawmills, etc., used for fuel, landfill , animal feed , and surfacing paths and running tracks
jet fuel
fuel to be used in jet aircraft
fossil fuel
Fossil fuel is fuel such as coal or oil that is formed from the decayed remains of plants or animals.
fuel gauge
an instrument in a vehicle that indicates how much fuel remains
fuel growth
The growth of something such as an industry, organization, or idea is its development in size, wealth , or importance .
fuel-saving
(of a vehicle) using less fuel for a further distance
fuel system
The fuel system in a vehicle is the combination of parts needed to carry fuel into and out of the engine .
rocket fuel
an explosive charge that powers a rocket
solid fuel
Solid fuel is fuel such as coal or wood , that is solid rather than liquid or gas.
spent fuel
nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor to the point where it is no longer useful in sustaining a nuclear reaction
aviation fuel
fuel used to power airplanes
fuel conflict
Conflict is fighting between countries or groups of people.
fuel element
a can containing nuclear fuel for use in a fission reactor
fuel injector
something that introduces atomized liquid fuel under pressure directly into the combustion chambers of an internal-combustion engine without the use of a carburettor
fuel poverty
the state of being unable to afford to heat one's home adequately
fuel rumours
A rumour is a story or piece of information that may or may not be true, but that people are talking about.
fuel shortage
If there is a shortage of something, there is not enough of it.
fuel violence
Violence is behaviour which is intended to hurt , injure , or kill people.
lighter fuel
the fuel used in a cigarette or cigar lighter
nuclear fuel
Nuclear fuel is fuel that provides nuclear energy, for example in power stations.
premium fuel
fuel or gasoline which has a higher octane value and is more expensive than standard fuel
fuel efficiency
the (least) amount of fuel used in proportion to the number of miles travelled
fuel-efficient
(of a vehicle, etc) using the least or a lower than usual amount of fuel in proportion to the number of miles travelled
fuel inflation
Inflation is a general increase in the prices of goods and services in a country.
fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system in the engines of some vehicles which forces fuel directly into the part of the engine where it is burned .
smokeless fuel
fuel which burns without producing smoke
synthetic fuel
fuel in the form of liquid or gas ( synthetic natural gas ) manufactured from coal or in the form of oil extracted from shale or tar sands
air-fuel ratio
The air-fuel ratio or air-fuel delivery ratio is the ratio of air to fuel that is taken in by an engine .
alternative fuel
An alternative fuel is any automotive fuel other than gasoline and diesel fuel.
fuel air bomb
a type of bomb that spreads a cloud of gas, which is then detonated , over the target area, causing extensive destruction
fuel consumption
Fuel consumption is the rate at which an engine uses fuel, expressed in units such as miles per gallon or liters per kilometer.
fuel-saving device
a device that increases the fuel efficiency of a vehicle, so that it uses less fuel for a further distance
solid-fuel heating
heating that uses solid fuel , such as coal or coke
fuel injection engine
and engine with a system for introducing atomized liquid fuel under pressure directly into the combustion chambers of an internal-combustion engine without the use of a carburettor
diesel oil
a fuel obtained from petroleum distillation that is used in diesel engines. It has a relatively low ignition temperature (540°C) and is ignited by the heat of compression
add fuel to something
If something adds fuel to a conflict or debate , or adds fuel to the fire , it makes the conflict or debate more intense .
add fuel to the fire
to make a bad situation worse
specific fuel consumption
Specific fuel consumption is the amount of fuel consumed by a vehicle for each unit of power output .
oil
Oil is a smooth, thick liquid that is used as a fuel and for making the parts of machines move smoothly. Oil is found underground .