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petrolero

peh-tro-LEH-ro/pe.tɾo.ˈle.ɾo/

oil tanker

Also: tanker
NounmB1
A massive cargo ship with a flat deck and pipes, floating on a calm blue sea.

📝 In Action

El petrolero está anclado en el puerto.

A2

The oil tanker is anchored in the port.

Un petrolero gigante sufrió una avería en alta mar.

B1

A giant oil tanker broke down on the high seas.

Las nuevas leyes exigen que cada petrolero tenga un doble casco.

C1

New laws require every oil tanker to have a double hull.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • buque cisterna (tanker ship)

Common Collocations

  • petrolero de doble casco – double-hull tanker
  • marea negra – oil spill (caused by a tanker)

oil worker

Also: oilman
NounmB2
A person wearing a yellow hard hat and blue coveralls standing in front of a simple oil derrick.

📝 In Action

Mi tío es petrolero y trabaja en una plataforma.

A2

My uncle is an oil worker and works on a platform.

Los petroleros convocaron una huelga para el lunes.

B1

The oil workers called a strike for Monday.

El sindicato petrolero es muy poderoso en este país.

B2

The oil workers' union is very powerful in this country.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • trabajador del petróleo (oil worker)

Common Collocations

  • plataforma petrolera – oil rig
  • sindicato petrolero – oil workers' union

oil

Also: petroleum
A large industrial oil derrick standing in a desert landscape.

📝 In Action

La crisis petrolera afectó a todo el mundo.

B1

The oil crisis affected everyone.

Viven cerca de un pozo petrolero.

B1

They live near an oil well.

La empresa petrolera anunció nuevas inversiones.

B2

The oil company announced new investments.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • petrolífero (oil-bearing / petroleum-related)

Common Collocations

  • industria petrolera – oil industry
  • derrame petrolero – oil spill
  • pozo petrolero – oil well

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "petrolero" in Spanish:

oil→oil tanker→oil worker→oilman→petroleum→tanker→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: petrolero

Question 1 of 3

What is a 'buque petrolero'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
petróleo(oil / petroleum) — Noun
petrolera(oil company) — Noun
petrolífero(containing oil) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Formed from 'petróleo' (from Latin 'petra' meaning rock and 'oleum' meaning oil) plus the suffix '-ero', which indicates a profession or an object related to the root word.

First recorded: 19th century (with the rise of the modern oil industry)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: petroleiroItalian: petroliera

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'petróleo' and 'petrolero'?

'Petróleo' is the actual substance (crude oil). 'Petrolero' refers to the things or people associated with it, like a tanker ship or an oil worker.

Can 'petrolero' mean a gas station worker?

Generally, no. A gas station worker is usually called a 'gasolinero' or 'despachador'. 'Petrolero' implies working in the larger industry of extraction or transport.

How do I refer to a woman in the oil industry?

Simply change the word to 'petrolera'. For example: 'Ella es ingeniera petrolera'.