petroleum ether

American  

noun

1. a flammable, low-boiling hydrocarbon mixture produced by the fractional distillation of petroleum, used as a solvent.

---

petroleum ether British  

noun

1. a volatile mixture of the higher alkane hydrocarbons, obtained as a fraction of petroleum and used as a solvent

---

Etymology

Origin of petroleum ether

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Between 70� and 120� petroleum ether and petroleum naphtha are produced, and they together constitute what is commonly called petrol.

From Project Gutenberg

The molecularly lighter substances are given off, beginning with petroleum ether.

From Time Magazine Archive

The first solvent recommended by the committee is hot kerosene to be followed by petroleum ether kept at ordinary room temperature.

From Project Gutenberg

Petroleum ether, cold or only slightly warm, is not a good fat and metallic soap solvent, whereas hot kerosene dissolves these substances readily, and for this reason the committee has recommended the double solvent method so as to exclude metallic soaps which are determined below as soluble mineral matter.

From Project Gutenberg

In order to determine the unsaponifiable matter in fats and oils they are first saponified, then the unsaponifiable, which consists mainly of hydrocarbons and the higher alcohols cholesterol or phytosterol, is extracted with ether or petroleum ether, the ether evaporated and the residue weighed as unsaponifiable.

From Project Gutenberg