paraffin wax

American

noun

paraffin in its solid state.

paraffin wax British

noun

Also called: paraffin. a white insoluble odourless waxlike solid consisting mainly of alkane hydrocarbons with melting points in the range 50°–60°C, used in candles, waterproof paper, and as a sealing agent

"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 wax Scientific

See paraffin

Etymology

Origin of paraffin wax

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

Preserved in formaldehyde and paraffin wax, they come from patients treated at the UK's national bowel hospital, St Mark's, in northwest London.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

The bowel cancers and accompanying gut bacteria have been preserved in paraffin wax.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

The New Castle Fire Department said that at least some of the cars that derailed contained paraffin wax, which is used to make candles, and soybeans.

From Seattle Times • May 11, 2023

The new design uses small paraffin wax pads infused with scents that are heated by an electrode to release an odor.

From Scientific American • May 9, 2023

She pours the jelly into hot jars, capping them with paraffin wax.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023