Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum.
It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from Greek: κηρός (keros) meaning “wax”, and was registered as a trademark by Canadian geologist and inventor Abraham Gesner in 1854 before evolving into a generic trademark. It is sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage.
The term kerosene is common in much of Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, and the United States, while the term paraffin (or a closely related variant) is used in Chile, eastern Africa, South Africa, Norway, and in the United Kingdom.
The term lamp oil, or the equivalent in the local languages, is common in the majority of Asia and the Southeastern United States.
Liquid paraffin (called mineral oil in the US) is a more viscous and highly refined product which is used as a laxative.
Paraffin wax is a waxy solid extracted from petroleum.
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