kerosene
Americannoun
adjective
noun
-
Also called: paraffin. 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
-
the general name for paraffin as a fuel for jet aircraft
Usage
The spelling kerosine is now the preferred form in technical and industrial usage
Etymology
Origin of kerosene
1852; irregular < Greek kērós wax + -ene; formerly trademark
Explanation
Kerosene is an oil that's commonly used for fuel in stoves, lamps, and heaters. If you go camping, you might heat up some chili over a portable kerosene stove before telling ghost stories. Kerosene is an efficient fuel, which makes it portable — you don't need to burn that much kerosene to generate heat or cook food. It's common, therefore, in camping stoves and lamps, and it's a low-cost method of backup heat during power outages as well. Also known as paraffin, kerosene has other uses, including powering jet engines, the outboard motors of small boats, and in parts of Asia, motorcycles as well.
Vocabulary lists containing kerosene
The Distance Between Us
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My Name Is Not Easy
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"In a context of climate crisis and oil shock, it seems absolutely obvious that this kerosene should be reserved for more essential uses at a time when we're facing fuel shortages," he said.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Jet fuel is essentially a highly refined form of kerosene with specialised additives, and is usually produced from fractional distillation of crude oil.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
This will be held as inventory and used over the summer, with kerosene production set to rise by up to 20%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Julian wants to destroy the unfinished Christophers, but can’t bring himself to douse the canvases in kerosene and light the match.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
To my surprise, the wick lit right up and, after shaking it a bit, I could hear that there was enough kerosene in it to keep it going for a while, maybe even all night.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
