Fuel

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈfjuːəlÌ©/
• Rhymes: -ÊŠÉ™l

Origin

Old French fouaille, from feu ("fire").

Full definition of fuel

Noun

1. Substance consumed to provide energy through combustion, or through chemical or nuclear reaction.
• 2006, w, Internal Combustion Chapter 2, More than a mere source of Promethean sustenance to thwart the cold and cook one's meat, wood was quite simply mankind's first industrial and manufacturing fuel.
2. Substance that provides nourishment for a living organism; food.
3. (figuratively) Something that stimulates, encourages or maintains an action.
   His books were fuel for the revolution.   Money is the fuel for economy.

Derived terms

• fossil fuel
• fuel cell
• nuclear fuel
• solid fuel

Verb

1. to provide fuel
2. to exacerbate, to cause to grow or become greater

Usage notes

fuelled and fuelling are mainly Australian, New Zealand, and British spellings.

fueled and fueling are mainly US spellings.

Anagrams

• flue
• fule