kerosene

or ker·o·sine

[ ker-uh-seen, kar-, ker-uh-seen, kar- ]

See synonyms for kerosene on Thesaurus.com

noun

a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained by distilling petroleum, bituminous shale, or the like, and widely used as a fuel, cleaning solvent, etc.

adjective

using or fueled by kerosene: a kerosene lamp.

Origin of kerosene

1852; irregular <Greek kērós wax + -ene; formerly trademark

Words Nearby kerosene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use kerosene in a sentence

Despite living without electricity and studying by the light of a kerosene lamp at night, he made it to the University of Cambridge, where he studied chemistry.
Tech in Africa Is Taking Off | Kate Bartlett | August 19, 2021 | Ozy
Living with his entire family in a one-room home with no running water or electricity as a child, the young Chibale studied at night by the light of a kerosene lamp and against all odds made it into Cambridge, where he studied chemistry.
The Problem With Colorblind Clinical Trials | Kate Bartlett | August 18, 2021 | Ozy
He throws kerosene on the controversies that divide the nation.
Talking With Tucker Carlson, the Most Powerful Conservative in America | Charlotte Alter | July 15, 2021 | Time
Planes dropped kerosene bombs from the skies, according to witnesses and a 2001 report by an Oklahoma commission that studied the massacre.
The devastation of the Tulsa Race Massacre | DeNeen L. Brown | May 28, 2021 | Washington Post
Currently, SAF costs between three and four times more than traditional kerosene fuel, while e-fuels can be between six and seven times more expensive than kerosene.
Airlines’ Emissions Halved During the Pandemic. Can the Industry Preserve Some of Those Gains as Travel Rebounds? | Ciara Nugent | May 17, 2021 | Time

The Russians had developed a very powerful, very reliable, and relatively simple liquid oxygen/kerosene engine.
Why Does the USA Depend on Russian Rockets to Get Us Into Space? | P. J. O’Rourke | June 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The cozy days of lighting the Hofburg Palace with kerosene rather than electricity had come to an abrupt end.
Before the Fall: What Did the World Look Like in 1913? | Jacob Heilbrunn | June 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Franz Joseph lit the Hofburg Palace with kerosene lamps and viewed the telephone as a nuisance.
Before the Fall: What Did the World Look Like in 1913? | Jacob Heilbrunn | June 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
He awoke to dogs barking and gunshots, he said, and turned on a kerosene lantern to see what was going on.
Afghan Victims’ Harrowing Testimony From the Robert Bales Trial | Winston Ross | November 11, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Small homes often have only kerosene lamps to provide light, which spew toxins equivalent to two packs of cigarettes a day.
sOccket Inventors: Being Young and Stubborn Helps Innovation | Casey Schwartz | March 9, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
A lack of processed candles and kerosene oil left only grease and wax to be utilized for making handmade candles.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. Torpey
Well refined kerosene oil gives a good light, but it is always dangerous.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin Malley
In pushing splinters under his toenails, the lamp was upset, kerosene was spilled over his feet to catch fire.
David Lannarck, Midget | George S. Harney
They were lighted by smoking kerosene lamps, which but added to their unattractiveness.
The Leaven in a Great City | Lillian William Betts
A fine luster can be given to zinc by rubbing it with kerosene or a weak solution of sulphuric acid.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for kerosene

kerosene

kerosine

/ (ˈkɛrəˌsiːn) /

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

Origin of kerosene

C19: from Greek kēros wax + -ene

usage For kerosene

The spelling kerosine is now the preferred form in technical and industrial usage

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

Scientific definitions for kerosene

kerosene

[ kĕr′ə-sēn′ ]

A thin, light-colored oil that is a mixture of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum. The hydrocarbons in kerosene contain between 11 and 12 carbon atoms. Kerosene is used as a fuel in lamps, home heaters and furnaces, and jet engines.

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