Meaning & use
kerosene
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
A thin, flammable oil made from petroleum, burned in lamps and heaters or used as jet fuel.
Grammar: Uncountable; use 'a liter of kerosene' or 'some kerosene', not 'a kerosene' or 'kerosenes'.
Patterns
- a gallon of kerosene
- kerosene lamp
- kerosene heater
The old cabin had no electricity, so we lit a kerosene lamp.
The price of kerosene rose sharply during the winter.
Jet engines run on a refined type of kerosene.
Common combinations
- kerosene lamp
- She polished the glass of the kerosene lamp.
- kerosene heater
- A kerosene heater kept the shed warm.
- a gallon of kerosene
- He bought a gallon of kerosene for the stove.
- kerosene smell
- The kerosene smell lingered in the garage.
Synonyms and how they differ
- paraffin
- The usual British word for the same fuel; in American English 'paraffin' means a waxy solid, so the two can be confused.
- fuel oil
- A broader term for heavy oils burned for heat or power; kerosene is a lighter, more refined type.
Commonly confused: kerosene or paraffin?
kerosene vs paraffin
In British English 'paraffin' is the same as kerosene, but in American English it is a waxy solid used for candles and sealing jars.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'kerosene' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Kerosene' is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb and no article: 'The heater burns kerosene.' 'A kerosene' and 'kerosene were/are' are wrong because uncountable nouns cannot be counted or used with plural verbs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kerosene”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.