Kalmar "man kwal" na iya nufin abubuwa daban-daban dangane da mahallin. Ga ma’anoni guda biyu masu yiwuwa: Ma'anar ma'anar "kerosene" - wani nau'in mai mai haske, mai konawa wanda ake amfani da shi azaman mai a cikin fitilu, dumama, da murhu. Kerosene yawanci ana yin shi daga man fetur, amma kuma ana iya yin shi da gawayi. A da, lokacin da ba a samun yawan man fetur, man kwal wata kalma ce da aka saba amfani da ita wajen kwatanta kananzir da aka yi da gawayi. , ruwa mai danko wanda aka samo shi azaman hanyar samar da iskar gas na kwal. Kwal kwal wani hadadden cakuda hydrocarbons, phenols, da sauran mahadi. An yi amfani da shi a tarihi a matsayin kayan shimfidawa, abin rufe rufin rufi da jiragen ruwa, abin adana itace, da kuma tushen sinadarai iri-iri da ake amfani da su a masana'antu da magunguna. Duk da haka, kwal ɗin kwal yana da guba sosai kuma yana haifar da cutar kansa, kuma yanzu an haramta amfani da shi sosai ko kuma an hana shi a ƙasashe da yawa.