noun
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a distillation product from coal tar boiling in the approximate range 80–170°C and containing aromatic hydrocarbons
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a distillation product from petroleum boiling in the approximate range 100–200°C and containing aliphatic hydrocarbons: used as a solvent and in petrol
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an obsolete name for petroleum
Other Word Forms
- naphthous adjective
Etymology
Origin of naphtha
1565–75; < Latin < Greek náphthas, perhaps < Iranian *nafta, derivative of *nab- to be damp; compare Avestan napta- damp, Persian naft naphtha
Compare meaning
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Explanation
Naphtha is a flammable liquid made from distilling petroleum. It looks like gasoline. Naphtha is used to dilute heavy oil to help move it through pipelines, to make high-octane gas, to make lighter fluid, and even to clean metal. This unusual-looking word refers to a dangerous substance: naphtha is a liquid hydrocarbon mixture that is extremely flammable and volatile. If you're around naphtha and you light a match, Kaboom! Naphtha is created by distilling petroleum, and it's a component of gasoline and kerosene. The main purpose of naphtha is as a solvent, which means it's used to dissolve other substances, which is why it can be used to clean metal. Without fossil fuels, we would have no naphtha.
Vocabulary lists containing naphtha
The House on Mango Street
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The Subtle Knife
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The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Monday, Japanese toilet giant Toto halted orders for prefabricated bath units because of a shortage of naphtha, a critical petrochemical derived from crude oil.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she has assigned a team of ministers to tackle the shortages, but denied a major shortage, saying Japan still has secured at least four months’ worth of naphtha.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Those stockpiles only last about 20 days, and half of all refiners that rely on naphtha to make plastic products have already cut output, Thieliant pointed out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
In a sign of how critical the situation has become, the South Korean government said Tuesday that it would restrict naphtha exports.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
In the naphtha lamplight there was a gleam of dark gold: it was a lock of hair, and the President was twisting it between his fingers, turning it this way and that.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
