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kerosene

Syllabification: (ker·o·sene)
Pronunciation: /ˈkerəˌsēn, ˈkar-, ˌkerəˈsēn, ˌkar-/

(also chiefly Britishkerosine)
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Definition of kerosene

noun

  • a light fuel oil obtained by distilling petroleum, used especially in jet engines and domestic heaters and lamps and as a cleaning solvent.

Origin:

mid 19th century: from Greek kēros 'wax' (because the solid form of paraffin is waxlike) + -ene

kerosene in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of kerosene in the British & World English dictionary

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