petrochemical
petrochemical Lexical Profile
petrochemical Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or denoting chemicals obtained from petroleum and natural gas, or the industry that manufactures them.
"The coastal region hosts several large petrochemical plants that produce synthetic materials for export."
Relating to the chemistry or chemical composition of rocks.
"Geologists conducted a detailed petrochemical analysis of the volcanic basalt samples."
• noun
A chemical substance obtained commercially from petroleum or natural gas, used in making plastics, synthetic fibers, detergents, and fertilizers.
"Modern manufacturing relies heavily on petrochemicals to produce everyday items ranging from packaging to clothing."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although originally coined in geology to describe the chemical composition of rocks, 'petrochemical' is now overwhelmingly used in reference to chemical products derived from petroleum and natural gas.
• Rhymes for petrochemical
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-19th century in the geological sense from the combining form 'petro-' (from Ancient Greek 'petra', meaning rock) and 'chemical'; the industrial sense relating to petroleum was coined independently in the 1940s.