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naphtha

American  
[naf-thuh, nap-] / ˈnæf θə, ˈnæp- /

noun

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

  2. any of various similar liquids distilled from other products.

  3. petroleum.

naphtha British  
/ ˈnæfθə, ˈnæp- /

noun

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

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

  3. an obsolete name for petroleum

"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
naphtha Scientific  
/ năf′thə /

  1. 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.

Other Word Forms

  • naphthous adjective

Etymology

Origin of naphtha

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The country last week imposed temporary export curbs on naphtha because of a supply crunch as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have stalled since late February.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Those stockpiles only last about 20 days, and half of all refiners that rely on naphtha to make plastic products have already cut output, Thieliant pointed out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Around 70% of Japan’s consumption of naphtha, a key feedstock for plastics, comes from the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

"We concluded that a reduction in naphtha imports was inevitable. Our goal is to avoid a suspension of our operations," a company spokesperson told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

On a side table under a naphtha lamp lay a battered wooden box, certainly the right size to contain the instrument she knew.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.