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Glite Dictionary
unleaded petrol

unleaded petrol

2.5
Petrol without added lead used to fuel cars
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈliːd ˈpɛtrəl/
  • UK
translation icon : gasóleo sin plomo
  • When choosing a fuel for your vehicle, make sure to buy unleaded petrol for cleaner air quality.

Examples

  • At some stages, there were not enough filling stations pumping unleaded petrol to meet the growing consumer demand.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Most modern cars require unleaded petrol to operate efficiently and reduce harmful emissions.

  • The government has mandated that all new cars must use unleaded petrol to prevent lead pollution.

Synonyms

unleaded gasoline
vsunleaded petrol
  • US
1 3.0

Fuel for cars that does not contain lead

is the British form or spelling for the same fuel used to reduce air pollution

Antonyms

leaded petrol
  • Archaic
5.8

Fuel that contains a small amount of lead to stop engine knocking

Surface Forms

unleaded petrol singular
unleaded petrole singular

Morphology

unleaded + petrol

The meaning 'petrol that does not contain lead' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'unleaded' (without lead) with 'petrol' (fuel). The negation prefix 'un-' and the literal senses of the constituents make the concept immediately comprehensible to learners who know both words; similar constructions exist in many languages.

Etymology

Unleaded petrol began as a name when people stopped adding lead to petrol to make cars and the air cleaner, so the fuel was literally 'without added lead'.