Kerosene

Kerosene (Gr. kēros, 'wax'), one of many names under which petroleum, paraffin, or shale oils are sold in different countries for burning in lamps. The name originated in America, and is still much used there in reference to petroleum for domestic use. It is the name also by which generally these mineral oils are known in India, China, and the colonies, and under which they are imported in tins and cases from America, Russia, or Great Britain.