paraffin

[par-uh-fin] /ˈpær ə fɪn/

noun

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.

Chemistry.

any member of the alkane series.
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.

Also called paraffin oil. British, kerosene.

verb (used with object)

to cover or impregnate with paraffin.

Origin

1830-40; < German < Latin par(um) barely + aff(īnis) connected + -in²; so called from its slight affinity for other substances; see affinity

Examples from the web for paraffin

Some possibilities for heat storage are hot water and paraffin.
Before, when they lived in squatter camps, they drew water from a communal tap and used paraffin lamps.
If the fabric looks and feels dry, or if you notice leaking, the cap can be reproofed with a paraffin wax.
If the fabric looks and feels dry, or if you notice leaking, the coat can be reproofed with a paraffin wax.
Based on the experts' advice, he had tissue stored in both liquid nitrogen and paraffin blocks.
Food-grade paraffin is harmless, but non-digestible.
In the hardware store, he found a paraffin stove, and took it home with a tin of fuel.
Strain the ketchup, pour it into bottles, and cover the corks with melted paraffin.
paraffin wax, as used in candle making, is also biodegradable.

British Dictionary definitions for paraffin

paraffin

/ˈpærəfɪn/

noun

Also called paraffin oil, (esp US and Canadian) 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

another name for alkane

See paraffin wax

See liquid paraffin

verb (transitive)

to treat with paraffin or paraffin wax

Word Origin

C19: from German, from Latin parum too little + affinis adjacent; so called from its chemical inertia

Word Origin and History for paraffin

1838, from German Paraffin, coined c.1830 by German chemist Karl von Reichenbach (1788-1869), who first obtained it as a waxy substance from wood tar, irregularly from Latin parum "not very, too little," probably related to parvus "little, small" (see parvi-) + affinis "associated with" (see affinity).

So called because paraffin is chemically not closely related to other substances. The liquid form (originally parafin oil) Reichenbach called eupion, but this was the standard meaning of paraffin in English by 1860.

paraffin in Science

paraffin

(pār'ə-fĭn)

A waxy, white or colorless solid mixture of hydrocarbons made from petroleum and used to make candles, wax paper, lubricants, and waterproof coatings. Also called paraffin wax.
See alkane.