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kerosene

American  
[ker-uh-seen, kar-, ker-uh-seen, kar-] / ˈkɛr əˌsin, ˈkær-, ˌkɛr əˈsin, ˌkær- /
Or kerosine

noun

  1. a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained by distilling petroleum, bituminous shale, or the like, and widely used as a fuel, cleaning solvent, etc.

adjective

  1. using or fueled by kerosene.

    a kerosene lamp.
kerosene British  
/ ˈkɛrəˌsiːn /

noun

  1. Also called: paraffin.  a liquid mixture consisting mainly of alkane hydrocarbons with boiling points in the range 150°–300°C, used as an aircraft fuel, in domestic heaters, and as a solvent

  2. the general name for paraffin as a fuel for jet aircraft

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
kerosene Scientific  
/ kĕr′ə-sēn′ /

  1. A thin, light-colored oil that is a mixture of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum. The hydrocarbons in kerosene contain between 11 and 12 carbon atoms. Kerosene is used as a fuel in lamps, home heaters and furnaces, and jet engines.

Usage

The spelling kerosine is now the preferred form in technical and industrial usage

Etymology

Origin of kerosene

1852; irregular < Greek kērós wax + -ene; formerly trademark

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He warned that a return to kerosene, coal and biomass - linked to serious heart and lung disease - would quickly worsen indoor air pollution.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Airlines have curtailed or suspend flights to the island for lack of kerosene.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Current tariffs of 10 percent on unleaded gasoline and seven percent on diesel, aviation fuel and kerosene would all be temporarily removed under the decree.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

Disruption to supplies from the Gulf, in the wake of the US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, has pushed the cost of aviation kerosene up by more than 80%.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

After introductions all around, the old lady apologized again for the kerosene lamps and the privy.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.