paraffin wax

(noun)

A waxy white solid hydrocarbon mixture used to make candles, wax paper, lubricants, and sealing materials.

Related Terms

Examples of paraffin wax in the following topics:

  • Waxes

    • Waxes are a type of long chain nonpolar lipid.
    • Waxes are synthesized by many animals and plants.
    • The best known animal wax is beeswax, but other insects secrete waxes as well.
    • Unlike most natural waxes, which are esters, synthetic waxes consist of long-chain hydrocarbons lacking functional groups.
    • Paraffin wax is a type of synthetic wax derived from petroleum and refined by vacuum distillation.

  • Mating Systems and Sexual Selection

    • An example is seen in the yellow-rumped honeyguide, a bird whose males defend beehives because the females feed on the wax.