paraffin

See also: Paraffin

English

Alternative forms

• paraffine

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpæɹ.ə.fɪn/
• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛɹ.ə.fɪn/

Noun

paraffin (countable and uncountable, plural paraffins)

1. (UK) A petroleum-based thin and colorless fuel oil
   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 57

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

   Synonym: kerosene

2. (chemistry) Any member of the alkane hydrocarbons.
3. Paraffin wax.

Derived terms

• chloroparaffin

Translations

kerosene — see kerosene

alkane hydrocarbon

• Dutch: paraffine (nl)
• Estonian: alkaan
• Finnish: alkaani (fi)
• French: paraffine (fr)
• Italian: paraffina (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: parafina (pl) f, alkan (pl) m
• Russian: парафи́н (ru) m (parafín)
• Spanish: parafina (es) f
• Tagalog: malapagkit, parapina

paraffin wax — see paraffin wax

Verb

paraffin (third-person singular simple present paraffins, present participle paraffining, simple past and past participle paraffined)

1. To impregnate or treat with paraffin.
2. To embed in paraffin wax.

Translations

treat with paraffin

• Finnish: parafinoida
• French: paraffiner (fr)
• Italian: paraffinare
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: parafinować
• Romanian: parafina (ro)