paraffin
noun
par·af·fin
| \ ˈper-ə-fən
, ˈpa-rə-\
, ˈpa-rə-\
Definition of paraffin
1a
: a waxy crystalline flammable substance obtained especially from distillates of wood, coal, petroleum, or shale oil that is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and is used chiefly in coating and sealing, in candles, in rubber compounding, and in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
b
: any of various mixtures of similar hydrocarbons including mixtures that are semisolid or oily
2
: alkane
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Other Words from paraffin
paraffinic
\ ˌper-ə-ˈfi-nik
, pa-rə- \
adjective
, pa-rə- \
adjective
Examples of paraffin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Now all three men walk into the middle of an Ashes storm -- a contest that is already high octane enough without paraffin being thrown into the mix. — James Masters, CNN, "The Ashes: Sledging and the bitter fight for iconic minuscule trophy," 31 July 2019 Wax paper is made with paraffin wax and should not be used with heat. — Washington Post, "Hints From Heloise: Does a choking hazard stem from this?," 3 July 2019 The blaze spread quickly, fueled by a mixture of gasoline and paraffin wax that was used to waterproof the tent. — USA TODAY, "Women in baseball, Lynyrd Skynyrd, circus fire: News from around our 50 states," 1 July 2019 The tingling formula promises to absorb excess oil with bamboo charcoal from the Himalayan foothills, green tea leaves from Japan, and organic community-trade tea tree oil from Kenya — and without parabens, paraffin, silicone, or mineral oil. — Marci Robin, Allure, "The Body Shop’s Charcoal Mask Is Sold Once Every 15 Seconds," 18 May 2019 Writers often cite a 2009 study by South Carolina State University researchers that claimed that paraffin wax releases harmful chemicals such as toluene. — Sam Gutierrez, House Beautiful, "Are Your Favorite Candles Slowly Poisoning You?," 26 Dec. 2018 Workmen created these early artificial straws by winding paper around a thin cylindrical form, then covering them in paraffin. — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, "Disposable America," 21 June 2018 Then, using a special instrument, a microtome, the technician would slice the paraffin block into ultrathin sections, about 0.0002 inches thick. — Lynne Parenti, Smithsonian, "How the Smithsonian’s Coelacanth Lost Its Brain and Got It Back Again," 14 Mar. 2018 Instead of food, the warmer’s vessels are filled with paraffin wax, which is liquefied by the heat. — The Economist, "A pasteurisation machine for breast milk," 3 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paraffin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for paraffin
paraffin
noun
English Language Learners Definition of paraffin
: a soft, waxy substance that is usually made from petroleum or coal and is used in candles and other products
See the full definition for paraffin in the English Language Learners Dictionary
paraffin
noun
par·af·fin
| \ ˈper-ə-fən
\
\
Kids Definition of paraffin
: a white waxy substance obtained from wood, coal, or petroleum and used in coating and sealing and in candles
paraffin
noun
par·af·fin
| \ ˈpar-ə-fən
\
\
Medical Definition of paraffin
1a
: a waxy crystalline flammable substance obtained especially from distillates of wood, coal, petroleum, or shale oil that is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and is used chiefly in coating and sealing, in candles, in rubber compounding, and in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
b
: any of various mixtures of similar hydrocarbons including mixtures that are semisolid or oily
2
: alkane
Other Words from paraffin
paraffinic
\ ˌpar-ə-ˈfin-ik
\
adjective
\
adjective
Keep scrolling for more