FUEL

[noun] - a substance which is used to provide heat or power, usually by being burnedWood, coal, oil, petrol and gas are all different kinds of fuel. [U]Plutonium is a fuel used to produce nuclear energy. [C]Fuel bills are usually higher in the winter than in the summer, because fuel consumption is higher then. [U]To the south of the city is a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. [U]There are plans to reduce the tax on unleaded fuel. [U]The new exhaust system, it is claimed, will reduce noise levels, improve engine power and lower fuel consumption. [U]Fuel is also anything that keeps people's ideas or feelings active, or makes them stronger.His unreasonable behaviour only gives fuel to his opponents.Reports in today's newspapers have added fuel to the controversy (= made it worse).The discovery that the government was aware of the cover-up has really added fuel to the fire/flames (= made a bad situation worse).We've never had a fuel-injected car (= a car with a device which puts an exact amount of fuel into the engine) before.A fuel rod is part of a device which produces nuclear power.