noun
paraffin
PAR-uh-fihn
noun
1
A waxy or oily substance derived from petroleum, used as fuel, in candles, or for waterproofing.
"The lamp burned paraffin oil for light."
"The candle was made from paraffin wax."
How to Use Paraffin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA petroleum-derived wax or oil, used in candles, fuel, and waterproofing.
UK vs US
In British English, "paraffin" often refers to what Americans call "kerosene."
Easily confused with
Word Forms
paraffined past tense, paraffins plural, paraffins singular
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The lamp burned _____ oil for light.
Etymology
From Latin parum ("too little") + affinis ("related"), coined to describe the substance's low chemical reactivity — literally "little affinity."