"Paso y reabasto"?

Question

Reading through an issue of "Selecciones" I come upon this phrase in an article about the famous author Saint Exupery:

...lo nombraron jefe de las estación de paso y reabasto de combustible de Cabo Judy, en el desierto del sur de Marruecos.

I can't find reabasto (or reabastar) in your dictionary and combustible just says combustible in English, though I would gather from the context it's a sort of way-station that dispenses gasoline. What is reabasto and is combustible an analogue for petrol'

Answer 1

Never heard the word before. "Abasto" (supply) comes from "abastecer" (to supply), so "reabastecer" would be something like "re-supply", and "reabasto" its noun.

Having said that, the word "reabastecimiento" is popular for "refuel" even though it means the same (in a way) as "abastecimiento". My guess is that someone used this re- to make it specific for fuel.

Answer 2

Thanx for the replies. (I made an error in copying the quote, should be "la" estación, not "las".)

Answer 3

combustible is listed in my paper dictionary as fuel.