paraffin
paraffin Lexical Profile
paraffin Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A white or colorless, odorless, tasteless waxy solid or liquid hydrocarbon mixture derived from petroleum, used in candles, cosmetics, waterproofing, and sealing.
"She dipped the jars into melted paraffin to create an airtight seal over the homemade jam."
British A colorless, flammable hydrocarbon liquid distilled from petroleum or shale oil and used as a fuel for heaters, lamps, and jet engines.
"During the winter power outage, they relied on an old portable stove that burned paraffin."
Any saturated hydrocarbon of the alkane series having the general chemical formula CnH2n+2.
"In organic chemistry, methane is the simplest member of the paraffin series."
• verb
To coat, impregnate, or treat a surface or material with paraffin.
"The technician paraffined the tissue samples before slicing them for microscopic examination."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, 'paraffin' typically refers to solid paraffin wax used for candles and sealing, whereas in British English it commonly refers to liquid kerosene used as fuel.
• Rhymes for paraffin
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in German in 1830 by chemist Karl von Reichenbach from the Latin phrase 'parum affinis' (meaning 'little affinity' or 'low reactivity'), referring to the substance's remarkable chemical unreactivity.