naphtha

[ naf-thuh, nap- ]

/ ˈnæf θə, ˈnæp- /

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noun

a colorless, volatile petroleum distillate, usually an intermediate product between gasoline and benzine, used as a solvent, fuel, etc.Compare mineral spirits.

any of various similar liquids distilled from other products.

petroleum.

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Origin of naphtha

1565–75; <Latin <Greek náphthas, perhaps <Iranian *nafta, derivative of *nab- to be damp; compare Avestan napta- damp, Persian naft naphtha

OTHER WORDS FROM naphtha

naphthous, adjective

Words nearby naphtha

Naperville, napery, Naphtali, Naphtalite, naphth-, naphtha, naphthacene, naphthalene, naphthalize, naphthene, naphthol

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use naphtha in a sentence

It was a terrifying bombardment of rocks, palm trunks and flaming naphtha.
In Threatening Baghdad, Militants Seek to Undo 800 Years of History|Justin Marozzi|August 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It furnishes naphtha, and the stone called Gangitis,534 which drives away reptiles.
The Geography of Strabo, Volume III (of 3)|Strabo
He's perfectly grand, and I'm going to see if he won't give me a naphtha launch.
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
The naphtha will evaporate and leave a thin coating of firmly-adhering gutta percha behind.
Notes and Queries, Number 240, June 3, 1854|Various

Aaron, carrying the naphtha lantern, led the way across the strip of new-plowed soil.
Blind Man's Lantern|Allen Kim Lang
On breaking these masses, and laying open the fissures, the substance assumed the form of naphtha.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

British Dictionary definitions for naphtha

naphtha

/ (ˈnæfθə, ˈnæp-) /

noun

a distillation product from coal tar boiling in the approximate range 80–170°C and containing aromatic hydrocarbons

a distillation product from petroleum boiling in the approximate range 100–200°C and containing aliphatic hydrocarbons: used as a solvent and in petrol

an obsolete name for petroleum

Word Origin for naphtha

C16: via Latin from Greek, of Iranian origin; related to Persian neft naphtha

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for naphtha

naphtha

[ năf′thə ]

Any of several liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons made by refining petroleum or by breaking down coal tar. Naphtha is usually flammable, and is used as a solvent and as an ingredient in gasoline. It is also used to make plastics.

naphtha

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Origin of naphtha

OTHER WORDS FROM naphtha

Words nearby naphtha

Words related to naphtha

How to use naphtha in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for naphtha

Word Origin for naphtha

Scientific definitions for naphtha