paraffin

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A petroleum-based thin and colourless fuel oil.

   She poured paraffin on the dry floors and on the pandanus-mats, and then she set fire.

2. 2
   noun

   (British usage) kerosine

3. 3
   noun

   a series of non-aromatic saturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH(2n+2)

4. 4
   noun

   from crude petroleum

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Paraffin was coined in German in the mid-19th century from Latin parum, ‘little’, and affinis, ‘related’, referring to its low reactivity.

From Latin paraffinum, from parum (too little) + affinis (related, affinity). Therefore low affinity or being chemically neutral.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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