1.
[syn: methane series, alkane series, alkane, paraffin series, paraffin]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Paraffin \Par"af*fin\ (p[a^]r"[a^]f*f[i^]n), Paraffine
\Par"af*fine\ (p[a^]r"[a^]f*f[i^]n or p[a^]r"[a^]f*f[=e]n), n.
[F. paraffine, fr. L. parum too little + affinis akin. So
named in allusion to its chemical inactivity.] (Chem.)
A white waxy substance, resembling spermaceti, tasteless and
odorless, and obtained from coal tar, wood tar, petroleum,
etc., by distillation. It is used in candles, as a sealing
agent (such as in canning of preserves), as a waterproofing
agent, as an illuminant and as a lubricant. It is very inert,
not being acted upon by most of the strong chemical reagents.
It was formerly regarded as a definite compound, but is now
known to be a complex mixture of several higher hydrocarbons
of the methane or marsh-gas series; hence, by extension, any
substance, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous, of the same
chemical series; thus gasoline, coal gas and kerosene consist
largely of paraffins.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
Note: In the present chemical usage this word is spelled
paraffin, but in commerce it is commonly spelled
paraffine.
[1913 Webster]
Native paraffin. See Ozocerite.
Paraffin series. See Methane series, under Methane.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
paraffin series
n 1: a series of non-aromatic saturated hydrocarbons with the
general formula CnH(2n+2) [syn: methane series, alkane
series, alkane, paraffin series, paraffin]