kerosene


kerosene

Organic compound, a clear, oily, highly flammable liquid with a strong odour, distilled from petroleum (10–25% of total volume). It is a mixture of about 10 different types of fairly simple hydrocarbons, depending on its source. It is less volatile than gasoline, boiling at 285–610 °F (140–320 °C). It is burned in lamps, heaters, and furnaces and is used as a fuel or fuel component for diesel and tractor engines, jet engines, and rockets and as a solvent for greases and insecticides.

Variants of KEROSENE

kerosene or kerosine

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on kerosene, visit Britannica.com.

Seen & Heard

What made you look up kerosene? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.

Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Get Our Free Apps
Voice Search, Favorites,
Word of the Day, and More
Join Us on FB & Twitter
Get the Word of the Day and More