kerosene

noun

variants or less commonly kerosine
: a flammable hydrocarbon oil usually obtained by distillation of petroleum and used as a fuel, solvent, and thinner

Examples of kerosene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If using kerosene heaters, never refuel inside the home, and provide adequate ventilation. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 The risk increases during the winter because carbon monoxide is found in fumes from heating devices like furnaces, kerosene heaters and portable generators. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 19 Jan. 2024 The Miranda engine burns kerosene and liquid oxygen but is significantly more powerful than the Reaver engine that Firefly uses on its smaller Alpha rocket. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 1 Dec. 2023 Enlarge / SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket heads downrange Friday night, with its nine Merlin engines burning kerosene and liquid oxygen. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023 Uniquely in the space industry, these thrusters consume a mix of kerosene and hydrogen peroxide propellants rather than toxic hypergolic propellants that ignite on contact with one another. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2023 Currently, most rocket fuel is made from a mix of kerosene and oxygen, known as kerolox, or hydrogen and oxygen, known as hydrolox. Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2023 Green kerosene, or e-kerosene, is a type of SAF made from CO2 and water, but requires copious amounts of renewable electricity. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2023 Shadows drew barcodes across its central cricket field, and kerosene lamps lit the interiors of stores and homes like Dutch Golden Age paintings. Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kerosene.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek kēros + English -ene (as in camphene)

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kerosene was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near kerosene

Cite this Entry

“Kerosene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kerosene. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kerosene

noun
ker·​o·​sene
variants also kerosine
ˈker-ə-ˌsēn How to pronounce kerosene (audio)
ker-ə-ˈsēn,
ˈkar-,
ˌkar-
: a thin oil obtained from petroleum and used as a fuel and solvent

Medical Definition

kerosene

noun
ker·​o·​sene
variants also kerosine
: a flammable hydrocarbon oil usually obtained by distillation of petroleum and used for a fuel and as a solvent and thinner (as in insecticide emulsions)

More from Merriam-Webster on kerosene

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