Fuel

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Fuel, n. [OF. fouail, fuail, or fouaille, fuaille, LL. focalium, focale, fr. L. focus hearth, fireplace, in LL., fire. See Focus.].

•  Any matter used to produce heat by burning; that which feeds fire; combustible matter used for fires, as wood, coal, peat, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  Anything that serves to feed or increase passion or excitement.  [1913 Webster]

Artificial fuel, fuel consisting of small particles, as coal dust, sawdust, etc., consolidated into lumps or blocks.

Fuel, v. t. 

•  To feed with fuel.  [1913 Webster]

  "Never, alas I the dreadful name,
  That fuels the infernal flame."  [1913 Webster]
•  To store or furnish with fuel or firing.  [1913 Webster]

  "Well watered and well fueled."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Fuel, n. & v.
--n.
1 material, esp. coal, wood, oil, etc., burnt or used as a source of heat or power.
2 food as a source of energy.
3 material used as a source of nuclear energy.
4 anything that sustains or inflames emotion or passion.
--v. (fuelled, fuelling; US fueled, fueling)
1 tr. supply with fuel.
2 tr. sustain or inflame (an argument, feeling, etc.) (drink fuelled his anger).
3 intr. take in or get fuel.

Idiom

fuel cell a cell producing an electric current direct from a chemical reaction. fuel element an element of nuclear fuel etc. for use in a reactor. fuel injection the direct introduction of fuel under pressure into the combustion units of an internal-combustion engine. fuel oil oil used as fuel in an engine or furnace.

Etymology

ME f. AF fuaille, fewaile, OF fouaille, ult. f. L focus hearth

THESAURUS

Fuel

ammunition, bunker, cater, charge, coal, combustible, detonate, encourage, encouragement, exacerbate, excite, exhaust, explode, feed, fill up, food, forage, fossil fuel, fuel up, fulminate, gas, gas up, incite, incitement, inflame, jet propulsion, kindling, liquid oxygen, nourish, nourishment, nuclear fuel, nutriment, nutrition, oil, propellant, propulsion charge, provender, provision, provocation, provoke, purvey, reaction propulsion, refuel, rocket propulsion, sell, stimulate, stimulus, stoke, sustain, sustenance, thrust, tinder, top off, victual

ROGET THESAURUS

Fuel

Materials

N materials, material, raw material, stuff, stock, staple, adobe, brown stone, chinking, clapboard, daubing, puncheon, shake, shingle, bricks and mortar, metal, stone, clay, brick crockery, compo, composition, concrete, reinforced concrete, cement, wood, ore, timber, materials, supplies, munition, fuel, grist, household stuff pabulum, ammunition, contingents, relay, reinforcement, reenforcement, baggage, means, calico, cambric, cashmere, raw, wooden, adobe.

Fuel

N fuel, firing, combustible, coal, wallsend, anthracite, culm, coke, carbon, charcoal, bituminous coal, tar shale, turf, peat, firewood, bobbing, faggot, log, cinder, ingle, tinder, touchwood, sulphur, brimstone, incense, port-fire, fire-barrel, fireball, brand, amadou, bavin, blind coal, glance coal, German tinder, pyrotechnic sponge, punk, smudge, solid fueled rocket, wax, paraffin wax, paraffin oil, lamp oil, whale oil, oil, petroleum, gasoline, high octane gasoline, nitromethane, petrol, gas, juice, gasohol, alcohol, ethanol, methanol, fuel oil, kerosene, jet fuel, heating oil, number 2 oil, number 4 oil, naphtha, rocket fuel, high specific impulse fuel, liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, lox, natural gas, synthetic gas, synthesis gas, propane, butane, hydrogen, brand, torch, fuse, wick, spill, match, light, lucifer, congreve, vesuvian, vesta, fusee, locofoco, linstock, candle, oil, carbonaceous, combustible, inflammable, high octane, high specific impulse, heat of combustion.