NAPHTHA


Meaning of NAPHTHA in English

ˈnafthə, ÷ ˈnap- noun

( -s )

Etymology: Latin, from Greek, of Iranian origin; akin to Avestan napta moist, Persian neft naphtha; perhaps akin to Greek nephos cloud, mist — more at nebula

1. : petroleum especially when occurring in any of its more volatile varieties

2. archaic : any of various volatile strong-smelling flammable liquids (as ether or ethyl acetate)

3. : any of various volatile often flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixtures used chiefly as solvents and diluents and as raw materials for conversion to gasoline: as

a. : a petroleum distillate containing principally aliphatic hydrocarbons and boiling usually higher than gasoline and lower than kerosene — called also petroleum naphtha ; see ligroin , stoddard solvent

b. : solvent naphtha

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.