Kerosene is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The word "Kerosene" was registered as a trademark by Abraham Gesner in 1854, and for several years, only the North American Gas Light Company and the Downer Company (to which Gesner had granted the right) were allowed to call their lamp oil "Kerosene" in the United States. 

It eventually became a generalized trademark. The term "kerosene" is common in much of Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Kerosene is usually called paraffin in the UK, Ireland, Southeast Asia and South Africa.

The predominant use of kerosene in the U.S.A is aviation turbine fuel for civilian (using Jet A or Jet A-1) and military (using JP-8 or JP-5) aircraft. Kerosenes are also used as diesel fuel (No. 1), domestic heating fuel (Fuel oil No. 1), and illuminating kerosene (No.1-K).

Kerosene-based fuels differ from each other in performance specifications (primarily freezing point or sulfur concentration) and minor amounts of performance additives that may be added (generally less than 0.1% v/v) (CONCAWE 1995, 1999, ASTM, 2001a,b; 2002).

Kerosene sales showed the largest percentage decrease from 2011 volumes. In 2012, kerosene dropped almost 106.6 million gallons to total 81.1 million gallons. This all-time low volume demonstrates a nearly 56.8 percent decrease and the first time kerosene has failed to register 100 million gallons in annual sales. Every consuming sector decreased over 40 percent during 2012. Sales to the residential sector totaled 57.3 million gallons in 2012.

This decrease of 79.9 million gallons, or 58.2 percent, was the largest decreasing sector by volume in 2012. Residential sales accounted for about 70.7 percent of the total kerosene sales volume. The largest decrease by percentage occurred in the other end user consuming sector, where sales decreased 69.7 percent, or 564 thousand gallons to total 245 thousand gallons.

Commercial sales decreased 62.3 percent, or 14.7 million gallons, to total 8.9 million gallons. Industrial sales recorded a 42.7 percent reduction from 2011 levels to total 12.9 million gallons. Farm sales declined in 2012 by 1.7 million gallons to total 1.7 million gallons, a 49.8 percent decrease.