The story
From Ancient Greek κηρός (kērós, “wax”) + -ene; a name trademarked in 1854. An older term for kerosene was carbon oil.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
kerosene
Today it means: A thin, often colorless or blue or straw-colored petroleum-based fuel, heavier than gasoline/petrol or naphtha but lighter than diesel, used primarily as jet fuel but also for heating and lighting in some remote or impoverished areas. Full definition →