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
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
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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.
Plastics and chemicals makers in Asia need naphtha and other oil derivatives from the Middle East and shortages have led them to reduce output.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Artience, a Japan-based printing ink manufacturer, said in April it planned to raise prices for its printing ink for plastic and paper products by 20%, citing the naphtha shortage.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Before the war, around 40% of Japan's naphtha was imported from the Middle East, Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary Kei Sato told reporters on Tuesday.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
“If we can secure even one barrel of crude or one ton of naphtha, the trip pays.”
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
“Asriel,” she said, going through into the warm naphtha light.
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.
