Chapter Peter to Pettish of P by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Petrolatum is the official name for the purified product. Cosmoline and vaseline are commercial names for substances essentially the same, but differing slightly in appearance and consistency or fusibility.

Petroleum
(Pe*tro"le*um) n. [NL., fr. L. petra a rock + oleum oil: cf. F. pétrole. Cf. Petrify, and Oil.] Rock oil, mineral oil, or natural oil, a dark brown or greenish inflammable liquid, which, at certain points, exists in the upper strata of the earth, from whence it is pumped, or forced by pressure of the gas attending it. It consists of a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons, largely of the methane series, but may vary much in appearance, composition, and properties. It is refined by distillation, and the products include kerosene, benzine, gasoline, paraffin, etc.

Petroleum spirit, a volatile liquid obtained in the distillation of crude petroleum at a temperature of 170° Fahr., or below. The term is rather loosely applied to a considerable range of products, including benzine and ligroin. The terms petroleum ether, and naphtha, are sometimes applied to the still more volatile products, including rhigolene, gasoline, cymogene, etc.

Pétroleur
(||Pé`tro`leur") n. m. Pétroleuse
(||Pé`tro`leuse") n. f.[F.] One who makes use of petroleum for incendiary purposes.

Petroline
(Pet"ro*line) n. (Chem.) A paraffin obtained from petroleum from Rangoon in India, and practically identical with ordinary paraffin.

Petrologic
(Pet`ro*log"ic Pet`ro*log"ic*al) a. Of or pertaining to petrology.

Petrologically
(Pet`ro*log"ic*al*ly), adv. According to petrology.

Petrologist
(Pe*trol"o*gist) n. One who is versed in petrology.

Petrology
(Pe*trol"o*gy) n. [Petro + -logy.]

1. The department of science which is concerned with the mineralogical and chemical composition of rocks, and with their classification: lithology.

2. A treatise on petrology.

Petromastoid
(Pet`ro*mas"toid) a. [Petro + mastoid.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the petrous and mastoid parts of the temporal bone, periotic.

Petromyzont
(Pet`ro*my"zont) n. [Petro + Gr. to suck in.] (Zoöl.) A lamprey.

Petronel
(Pet`ro*nel) n. [OF. petrinal, fr. peitrine, petrine, the breast, F. poitrine; so called because it was placed against the breast in order to fire. See Poitrel.] A sort of hand cannon, or portable firearm, used in France in the 15th century.

Petrosal
(Pe*tro"sal) a. [See Petrous.] (Anat.) (a) Hard; stony; petrous; as, the petrosal bone; petrosal part of the temporal bone. (b) Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the petrous, or petrosal, bone, or the corresponding part of the temporal bone.

Petrosal bone (Anat.), a bone corresponding to the petrous portion of the temporal bone of man; or one forming more or less of the periotic capsule.

Petrosal
(Pe*tro"sal), n. (Anat.) (a) A petrosal bone. (b) The auditory capsule. Owen.

Petrosilex
(Pet`ro*si"lex) n. [Petro + silex.] (Min.) Felsite.

Petrosilicious
(Pet`ro*si*li"cious) a. Containing, or consisting of, petrosilex.