Lexic.us

Definition of Naphtha

1. Noun. Any of various volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixtures; used chiefly as solvents.

Definition of Naphtha

1. n. The complex mixture of volatile, liquid, inflammable hydrocarbons, occurring naturally, and usually called crude petroleum, mineral oil, or rock oil. Specifically: That portion of the distillate obtained in the refinement of petroleum which is intermediate between the lighter gasoline and the heavier benzine, and has a specific gravity of about 0.7, -- used as a solvent for varnishes, as a carburetant, illuminant, etc.

Definition of Naphtha

1. Noun. (dated) Naturally-occurring liquid petroleum. ¹

2. Noun. Any of a wide variety of aliphatic or aromatic liquid hydrocarbon mixtures distilled from petroleum or coal tar, especially as used in solvents or petrol. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Naphtha

1. a volatile liquid [n -S]

Medical Definition of Naphtha

1. 1. The complex mixture of volatile, liquid, inflammable hydrocarbons, occurring naturally, and usually called crude petroleum, mineral oil, or rock oil. Specifically: That portion of the distillate obtained in the refinement of petroleum which is intermediate between the lighter gasoline and the heavier benzine, and has a specific gravity of about 0.7, used as a solvent for varnishes, as a carburetant, illuminant, etc. 2. One of several volatile inflammable liquids obtained by the distillation of certain carbonaceous materials and resembling the naphtha from petroleum; as, Boghead naphtha, from Boghead coal (obtained at Boghead, Scotland); crude naphtha, or light oil, from coal tar; wood naphtha, from wood, etc. This term was applied by the earlier chemical writers to a number of volatile, strong smelling, inflammable liquids, chiefly belonging to the ethers, as the sulphate, nitrate, or acetate of ethyl. Naphtha vitrioli [NL, naphtha of vitriol. Common ethyl ether; formerly called sulphuric ether. See Ether. Origin: L. Naphtha, Gr, fr.Ar. Nafth, nifth. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Naphtha

Literary usage of Naphtha

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. South Eastern Reporter by West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, West Publishing Company, South Carolina Supreme Court (1904)
"Tbe explosion was caused by the gas from the naphtha coming into contact with the flre of the gashouse retorts as the naphtha flowed near by in the sewer, ..."

2. Pharmaceutical Journal by Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (1844)
"They differ essentially from the natural naphtha to which we have alluded, ... The application of the term naphtha, originally confined to a natural fluid ..."

3. Coal-tar and Ammonia by Georg Lunge (1887)
"BURNING-naphtha. the normal temperature (which can be done by means of the table in the Appendix) should never be neglected. If special stipulations are ..."

4. The American Cyclopaedia: A Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge by Charles Anderson Dana (1875)
"As commonly described, naphtha is a very inflammable colorless liquid, of bituminous odor, tasteless, soluble in all proportions in absolute alcohol and in ..."

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