kerosene
noun
ker·o·sene
ˈker-ə-ˌsēn 
ˌker-ə-ˈsēn
ˌker-ə-ˈsēn
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
In at least one instance, a Muslim boy was forced to drink kerosene and swallow a lighted match.
—
Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
The first few Long March rockets used highly toxic and corrosive rocket fuels, but the newest multistage rockets use clean and powerful liquid propellants (kerosene and liquid oxygen for the first stage, hydrogen and liquid oxygen for the upper stage).
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2013
The man killed at a Benton convenience store Friday evening had been shot by a clerk after attempting to ignite a pool of kerosene in the parking lot, police officials said Tuesday afternoon.
—Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 22 Apr. 2025
On Upolu, the nation’s most populous island frequented by tourists for its white sand beaches, some have reverted to using kerosene lamps at night and are struggling to keep their food frozen – as rolling power outages leave them without electricity for hours each day.
—Todd Symons, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kerosene
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Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
The first few Long March rockets used highly toxic and corrosive rocket fuels, but the newest multistage rockets use clean and powerful liquid propellants (kerosene and liquid oxygen for the first stage, hydrogen and liquid oxygen for the upper stage).
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2013
The man killed at a Benton convenience store Friday evening had been shot by a clerk after attempting to ignite a pool of kerosene in the parking lot, police officials said Tuesday afternoon.
—Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 22 Apr. 2025
On Upolu, the nation’s most populous island frequented by tourists for its white sand beaches, some have reverted to using kerosene lamps at night and are struggling to keep their food frozen – as rolling power outages leave them without electricity for hours each day.
—Todd Symons, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kerosene
Cite this Entry
“Kerosene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kerosene. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kerosene
noun
ker·o·sene
variants
also kerosine
: 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)
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