paraffin
noun /ˈpærəfɪn/
/ˈpærəfɪn/
(also paraffin oil)
(both British English) (North American English kerosene)
[uncountable]- a type of oil obtained from petroleum and used as a fuel for heat and light
- a paraffin lamp/stove
- Those old-fashioned paraffin heaters can be very dangerous.
- He poured paraffin over the wood and set fire to it.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryParaffin is used before these nouns:- heater
- lamp
- oil
- …
Word Originmid 19th cent.: from German, from Latin parum ‘little’ + affinis ‘related’ (from its low reactivity).