Fuel
/ˈfjuːəl/noun
Material burned to produce heat, power, or energy.
Did you know?Fuel entered English through French from a Latin word tied to wood and kindling, which is why its oldest meaning was basically “burning material,” not modern energy sources.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pa-
“to feed, protect, or tend”
Latin
Latin
focālis
“of the hearth or fire-place”
Late Latin
Latin
focāle
“a hearth, fire, or bundle of firewood”
Old French
Old French
feuail
“firewood, kindling”
Middle English
English
fewel
“firewood or material for burning”
Modern English
English
fuel
“material used to make fire or produce energy”