paraffin
Use Paraffin in a sentence
ə noun
1.
a white or colorless, tasteless, odorless, water-insoluble, solid substance not easily acted upon by reagents, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons chiefly of the alkane series, obtained from crude petroleum: used in candles, for forming preservative coatings and seals, for waterproofing paper, etc.
2.
Chemistry.
a.
any member of the alkane series.
b.
one of the higher members of the alkane series, solid at ordinary temperatures, having a boiling point above 300°C, which largely constitutes the commercial form of this substance.
3.
verb (used with object)
4.
to cover or impregnate with paraffin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To paraffin
00:10
Paraffin
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is yaff. Does it mean:
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
| to bark; yelp. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
paraffin or (less commonly) paraffine (ˈpærəfɪn, ˈpærəˌfiːn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | paraffin oil, Also called: kerosene 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. | another name for alkane |
| 3. | See paraffin wax |
| 4. | See liquid paraffin |
| —vb | |
| 5. | to treat with paraffin or paraffin wax |
| [C19: from German, from Latin parum too little + affinis adjacent; so called from its chemical inertia] | |
| paraffine or (less commonly) paraffine | |
| —n | |
| —vb | |
| [C19: from German, from Latin parum too little + affinis adjacent; so called from its chemical inertia] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
paraffin
1838, from Ger. Paraffin, coined c.1830 by Ger. chemist Karl von Reichenbach (1788-1869) from L. parum "not very, too little" + affinis "associated with." So called because paraffin is chemically not closely related to other substances.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
paraffin (pār'ə-fĭn) Pronunciation Key
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
In the hardware store, he found a paraffin stove, and took it home with a tin of fuel.
If the fabric looks and feels dry, or if you notice leaking, the coat can be reproofed with a paraffin wax.
Some possibilities for heat storage are hot water and paraffin.
Food-grade paraffin is harmless, but non-digestible.
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