# fuel

Pronunciation: say "FYOO-uhl" US /ˈfjuəl/, UK /ˈfjuːəl/

## Noun

1. A substance that is used up to release energy, such as coal or gasoline burned in an engine, nuclear material in a reactor, or food in the body.
   - Simple: Something like coal, gasoline, or food that is used up to give energy.
   - _The power plant burns fossil fuel to generate electricity._
   - _Modern reactors extract enormous energy from a small amount of nuclear fuel._
4. Something that stimulates, encourages, or sustains an action or feeling.
   - Simple: Something that makes a feeling or action grow stronger or keeps it going.
   - _Her critics' doubts became fuel for her determination to succeed._
   - _The scandal provided endless fuel for gossip around the office._

## Verb

2. To make something grow or intensify, especially something harmful.
   - Simple: To make something grow bigger or stronger, often a problem or a bad feeling.
   - _Rising prices fuel public discontent._
   - _The leaked photos fueled speculation about the merger._
3. To supply something with the material it needs in order to run or burn.
   - Simple: To put fuel into something so it can run or burn.
   - _Crews fuel the spacecraft for hours before launch._
   - _They fueled the furnace with coal throughout the long winter._

## Origin

From Middle English fewell, from Old French fouaille ("firewood, kindling"), from feu ("fire"), from Late Latin focus ("fire") and Latin focus ("hearth"). It is a doublet of focus and is related to Spanish fuego and Portuguese fogo ("fire").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/fuel (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).