kerosene
pronunciation
How to pronounce kerosene in British English:
UK [ˈkerəsi:n]
How to pronounce kerosene in American English:
US [ˈkɛrəˌsin, ˈkær-, ˌkɛrəˈsin, ˌkær-]
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- Noun:
- a flammable hydrocarbon oil used as fuel in lamps and heaters
Word Origin
- kerosene (n.)
- 1852, coined irregularly by Canadian geologist Abraham Gesner (1797-1864), who discovered how to distill it c. 1846, from Greek keros "wax" (see cere) + chemical suffix -ene. So called because it contains paraffin (hence the British English name, paraffin oil).
Example
- 1. India regulates-and heavily subsidises-the price of diesel and kerosene .
- 2. First , kerosene from petroleum replaced whale oil .
- 3. They will avoid you like flies avoid kerosene .
- 4. Some people live without running water , or in homes heated by kerosene .
- 5. As dusk falls , kerosene stoves ignite in the poorer kitchens of delhi .