Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
paraffin oil

paraffin oil

4.2
A thin clear liquid used as fuel for lighting and heating, for example in lamps
  • noun
  • /ˈpærəfɪn ɔɪl/
  • UK
translation icon : aceite de parafina
  • We need to buy some paraffin oil for the heater.

Examples

  • The paraffin oil was stored in a large tank.

  • The shed contained several bottles of paraffin oil for emergencies.

  • In the countryside, many homes still use paraffin oil heaters during winter.

  • She refilled the old lamp with paraffin oil before lighting it.

  • The campers used paraffin oil to fuel their lanterns during the night.

  • She bought a bottle of paraffin oil from the hardware store to keep her lamps burning.

  • In winter, many households rely on paraffin oil for heating their homes.

Synonyms

oil
vsparaffin oil
∞ 1.0

A slippery thick liquid that does not mix with water used for machines, fuel, or cooking

is a specific thin heating and lighting fuel rather than any liquid
kerosene
vsparaffin oil
41 3.8

A clear oil used as a fuel for lamps, heaters, and some engines

is the British name for the same fuel used mainly for heating and lighting
lamp oil
vsparaffin oil
2 2.4

An oil that people burn in lamps and heaters

is a broader British name for the same thin clear heating fuel
paraffin
vsparaffin oil
  • UK
1 6.2

A thin clear oil used as fuel in lamps and heaters

is used mainly for heating and lighting rather than as a solvent

Surface Forms

paraffin oil singular
paraffin oils plural
kerosenes plural
kerosene singular

Morphology

paraffin + oil

Both constituents directly describe the referent: 'paraffin' denotes a petroleum product and 'oil' denotes a liquid fuel, so their combination signals a type of fuel oil used for heating/lighting (British kerosene). This is a straightforward noun–noun compositional pattern found cross‑linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Paraffin oil gets its name from the wax called paraffin. When people made a clear liquid from oil from the ground that was like that wax, they called it 'paraffin oil', so today it means a thin, clear 'fuel' used for lamps and heaters.