naphthalene

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈnæfθəˌliːn/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(naf′thə lēn′, nap′-)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
naph•tha•lene  (naf′thə lēn′, nap′-),USA pronunciation n. [Chem.]
  1. Chemistrya white, crystalline, water-insoluble hydrocarbon, C10H8, usually obtained from coal tar: used in making dyes, as a moth repellant, etc.
Also, naph′tha•line′, naph•tha•lin  (naf′thə lin, nap′-).USA pronunciation 
  • 1865–70; naphth- + -al3 + -ene
naph•thal•ic  (naf thal′ik, nap-),USA pronunciation naph•tha•len•ic  (naf′thə len′ik, nap′-),USA pronunciation adj. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
naphthalene, naphthaline / ˈnæfθəˌliːn ˈnæp-/naphthalin / ˈnæfθəlɪn ˈnæp-/
  1. a white crystalline volatile solid with a characteristic penetrating odour: an aromatic hydrocarbon used in mothballs and in the manufacture of dyes, explosives, etc. Formula: C10H8
Etymology: 19th Century: from naphtha + alcohol + -enenaphthalic / næfˈθælɪk næp-/
'naphthalene' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
asphaltene - chloronaphthalene - decahydronaphthalene - dieldrin - hydroxynaphthalene - methylnaphthalene - mothball - naphth- - naphthol - petrolene - phthalein

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