petroleum ether
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noun
a flammable, low-boiling hydrocarbon mixture produced by the fractional distillation of petroleum, used as a solvent.
Nearby words
petrol., petrolatum, petrolene, petroleum, petroleum benzin, petroleum ether, petroleum jelly, petrolhead, petrolic, petroliferous, petrolina
Origin of petroleum ether
First recorded in 1865–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for petroleum ether
The acid crystallized from the alcohol is then recrystallized several times from petroleum-ether.
British Dictionary definitions for petroleum ether
petroleum ether
noun
a volatile mixture of the higher alkane hydrocarbons, obtained as a fraction of petroleum and used as a solvent
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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