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paraffin

[ par-uh-fin ]

noun

  1. a white or colorless, tasteless, odorless, water-insoluble, solid substance not easily acted upon by reagents, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons chiefly of the alkane series, obtained from crude petroleum: used in candles, for forming preservative coatings and seals, for waterproofing paper, etc.
  2. Chemistry.
    1. any member of the alkane series.
    2. one of the higher members of the alkane series, solid at ordinary temperatures, having a boiling point above 300°C, which largely constitutes the commercial form of this substance.
  3. Also called paraffin oil. British. kerosene.


verb (used with object)

  1. to cover or impregnate with paraffin.

paraffin

/ ˈpærəfɪn; ˈpærəˌfiːn /

noun

  1. Also calledparaffin oilesp US and Canadiankerosene a liquid mixture consisting mainly of alkane hydrocarbons with boiling points in the range 150°–300°C, used as an aircraft fuel, in domestic heaters, and as a solvent
  2. another name for alkane
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to treat with paraffin or paraffin wax
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

paraffin

/ ăə-ĭ /

  1. A waxy, white or colorless solid mixture of hydrocarbons made from petroleum and used to make candles, wax paper, lubricants, and waterproof coatings.
  2. Also called paraffin wax
  3. See alkane
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of paraffin1

1830–40; < German < Latin par ( um ) barely + aff ( īԾ ) connected + -in 2; so called from its slight affinity for other substances; affinity
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of paraffin1

C19: from German, from Latin parum too little + affinis adjacent; so called from its chemical inertia
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In the evenings, she uses candles and paraffin lamps for light and keeps herself entertained with her battery-powered radio and her library of books.

From

Instead, they lit a paraffin lamp in the room near him as a beacon, in case his spirit wished to return to his body.

From

Permanent fillers like silicone or paraffin have been used but are not recommended, as they have been associated with long-term complications like necrosis and deformities.

From

Before getting social housing in the early 1980s the family lived in a home with no electricity, using paraffin lamps for light.

From

They erected partitions of wood, cardboard and cloth, built shacks within rooms and cooked on paraffin stoves.

From

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