fuel
combustible matter used to maintain fire, as coal, wood, oil, or gas, in order to create heat or power.
something that gives nourishment; food.
an energy source for engines, power plants, or reactors: Kerosene is used as jet engine fuel.
something that sustains or encourages; stimulant: Our discussion provided him with fuel for debate.
to supply with fuel.
to obtain or replenish fuel.
Origin of fuel
1Other words for fuel
Other words from fuel
- fu·el·er; (especially British) fu·el·ler, noun
- de·fu·el, verb (used with object), de·fu·eled, de·fu·el·ing or (especially British) de·fu·elled, de·fu·el·ling.
- non·fu·el, adjective
- un·fu·eled; (especially British) un·fu·elled, adjective
- well-fueled; (especially British) well-fuelled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use fuel in a sentence
The current conflict it fuels is now poised to last long into the new year.
And given the current glut in fossil fuels, it might even be a better economic bet to wait a few years.
With less than a dozen toilets in the entire community, poor sanitation fuels high rates of malaria and lethal cases of diarrhea.
They believe that companies trafficking in fossil fuels will eventually face financial problems.
It is love for the self and community that often fuels black rage.
Automatically controlled heat application to ensure complete vaporization of fuels.
Marvel Carbureter and Heat Control | AnonymousLockley even knew its designation, and that it used the new solid fuels for propulsion.
Operation Terror | William Fitzgerald JenkinsThe fuels may be coke, anthracite or bituminous coal, charcoal, oil or gas.
The A B C of Mining | Charles A. BrambleCarbon is the fuel that is used in all forms of combustion and is present in all fuels from whatever source or in whatever form.
Oxy-Acetylene Welding and Cutting | Harold P. ManlyTo bring the parts to this temperature, various methods are in use, using solid, liquid or gaseous fuels.
Oxy-Acetylene Welding and Cutting | Harold P. Manly
British Dictionary definitions for fuel
/ (fjʊəl) /
any substance burned as a source of heat or power, such as coal or petrol
the material, containing a fissile substance, such as uranium-235, that produces energy in a nuclear reactor
a substance that releases energy in a fusion reactor
something that nourishes or builds up emotion, action, etc
to supply with or receive fuel
Origin of fuel
1Derived forms of fuel
- fueller or US fueler, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for fuel
[ fyōō′əl ]
A substance that produces useful energy when it undergoes a chemical or nuclear reaction. Fuel such as coal, wood, oil, or gas provides energy when burned. Compounds in the body such as glucose are broken down into simpler compounds to provide energy for metabolic processes. Some radioactive substances, such as plutonium and tritium, provide energy by undergoing nuclear fission or fusion.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with fuel
see add fuel to the fire.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse