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paraffin

[ par-uh-fin ]
/ ˈpær ə fɪn /

noun

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.
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.
Also called paraffin oil .British. kerosene.

verb (used with object)

to cover or impregnate with paraffin.

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Origin of paraffin

1830–40; <German <Latin par(um) barely + aff(īnis) connected + -in2; so called from its slight affinity for other substances; see affinity

Words nearby paraffin

paradoxical respiration, paradoxical sleep, paradrop, paraesthesia, par. aff., paraffin, paraffine, paraffinic, paraffinize, paraffinoid, paraffinoma
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for paraffin

British Dictionary definitions for paraffin

paraffin

less commonly paraffine (ˈpærəˌfiːn)

/ (ˈpærəfɪn) /

noun

Also called: paraffin oil, (esp US and Canadian) kerosene 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
another name for alkane
See paraffin wax
See liquid paraffin

verb (tr)

to treat with paraffin or paraffin wax

Word Origin for paraffin

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

paraffin
[ păr′ə-fĭn ]

A waxy, white or colorless solid mixture of hydrocarbons made from petroleum and used to make candles, wax paper, lubricants, and waterproof coatings. Also called paraffin wax
See alkane.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.