kerosene

noun

ker·​o·​sene ˈker-ə-ˌsēn  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

The system runs on liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene, and uses an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026

That’s because the US produces a particular kind of crude that is good for making gasoline, but lousy for other petroleum products like diesel, kerosene and other fuel oils. —Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026

Some—li​ke gasoline, diesel, and kerosene—ar​e fuels. —Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026

The steam drives the engine’s turbopumps, while the oxygen combusts with the kerosene, with the mixture igniting spontaneously. —New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek kēros + English -ene (as in camphene)

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kerosene

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean

Kids Definition

kerosene

noun

ker·​o·​sene

variants also kerosine

ˈker-ə-ˌsēn 

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

ˈker-ə-ˌsēn  ˌker-ə-ˈ 

ˈkar-, 

ˌkar-

: 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)