naphtha

views updated Jun 27 2018

naph·tha / ˈnaf[unvoicedth]ə; ˈnap-/ • n. Chem. a flammable oil containing various hydrocarbons, obtained by the dry distillation of organic substances such as coal, shale, or petroleum.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

naphtha

views updated May 23 2018

naphtha Any of several volatile liquid-hydrocarbon mixtures. Naphtha first appears in the writings of Pliny the Elder in the 1st century. Alchemists used the word for various liquids of low boiling point. Several types of products are now called naphtha, including coal-tar naphtha and petroleum naphtha.

World Encyclopedia

naphtha

views updated May 21 2018

naphtha inflammable oil from coal. XVI. — L — Gr. náphtha, also náphthas, of Oriental orig.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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