Kerosene means "wax-stuff" in Greek and was invented by a Canadian geologist — the cheap, clean-burning fuel extended the productive day for billions of people before electricity arrived.
A light petroleum distillate used as fuel for jet engines, heating, lighting, and as a solvent. Also called paraffin in British English.
Coined in 1854 by Canadian geologist and inventor Abraham Gesner from Greek kēros (κηρός, wax), referring to the waxy substance (paraffin wax) that is a byproduct of the distillation process, plus the chemical suffix -ene. Key roots: kēros (Ancient Greek: "wax").
Kerosene was coined by Abraham Gesner, a Canadian physician turned geologist who in 1846 demonstrated that a clean-burning fuel could be distilled from coal and later from petroleum. He named it from Greek kēros (wax) because of the waxy byproduct of distillation. Kerosene literally transformed the world: before its widespread availability in the 1860s, artificial lighting