paraffin

American  

[par-uh-fin] / ˈpær ə fɪn /

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 paraffin oil.  British. kerosene.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cover or impregnate with paraffin.

paraffin British  

/ ˈpærəfɪn, ˈpærəˌfiːn /

noun

1. Also called: paraffin oil.   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

2. another name for alkane

3. See paraffin wax

4. See liquid paraffin

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verb

1. to treat with paraffin or paraffin wax

paraffin Scientific  

/ păr′ə-fĭn /

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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Etymology

Origin of paraffin

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

Example Sentences

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

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 Salon • Oct. 26, 2024

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

From New York Times • May 6, 2024

Greasy Sae, the bony old woman who sells bowls of hot soup from a large kettle, takes half the greens off our hands in exchange for a couple of chunks of paraffin.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins