paraffin

(păr′ă-fĭn )

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[L. parum, too little, + affinis, neighboring]

1. A waxy, white, tasteless, odorless mixture of solid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum; used as an ointment base or wound dressing.
SEE: petrolatum
2. One of a series of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having the formula C_nH_2n+2. Paraffins constitute the methane or paraffin series.
3. A series of solid waxes prepared according to their melting point, to be used to infiltrate and embed tissues for sectioning in the preparation of microscope slides.

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