kerosene

See also: kérosène

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Ancient Greek κηρός (kērós, wax) + -ene; a name trademarked in 1854.

Noun

kerosene (countable and uncountable, plural kerosenes)

  1. (Canada, US) A petroleum-based thin and colorless fuel; (Britain) paraffin.
    • 2013 August 3, “Yesterday’s fuel”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
      The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania. [] It was used to make kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting after overfishing led to a shortage of whale blubber. Other liquids produced in the refining process, too unstable or smoky for lamplight, were burned or dumped.
    The kerosene lasted all winter, so the furnace kept us always warm.

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Translations


Portuguese

Noun

kerosene m (plural kerosenes)

  1. Obsolete spelling of querosene

Spanish

Noun

kerosene m (plural kerosenes)

  1. kerosene
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