/ˈɡæsəliːn/·noun·1865, in American English; British English adopted "petrol" (from French pétrole) instead·Established
Origin
Gasoline descends from a wordinvented by a 17th-century Flemish chemist who claimed he based "gas" on the Greek word for chaos.
Definition
A volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture used as fuel in internal combustion engines. Called "petrol" in British English.
The Full Story
English coinage (from Dutch/Greek roots)1865well-attested
Coined in English around 1865, from gas + -ol (a chemical suffix used for oils and alcohols) + -ine (a chemical suffix). The 'gas' elementcomes from Dutch/Flemish gas, coined by chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont in the 1640s, possibly inspired by Greek khaos ('chaos, void'). Keyroots: gas (Dutch: "aeriform substance
Did you know?
The word "gas" was invented from scratch by the 17th-century Flemish chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont, who claimed he was inspired by the Greek word chaos. This makes "gasoline" one of the few everyday words that traces back to an identifiable individual inventor. Meanwhile, the British word "petrol" comes from Medieval Latinpetroleum