Nāph'thā, n.

(nāp'thā, or nāf'thā), n. [Lat. naphtha, Gr. νάφθα, from Chald. & Syr. naphtha, Ar. nafth, nifth, from nafatha, to push out, as pustules, to throw out, to boil, to be angry.] A volatile, limpid, bituminous liquid, lighter than water, of a peculiar odor, and generally of a light yellow color, occurring in nature, in a more or less pure condition, near coal deposits, and other regions. It is a compound of carbon and hydrogen, and very inflammable; rock-oil. By long keeping it hardens into a substance resembling resin, and becomes black.

Coal naphtha, a similar fluid produced by the artificial distillation of coal-tar.—Wood naphtha, a similar fluid produced by the distillation of wood.