NAPHTHALENE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does naphthalene mean? 

• NAPHTHALENE (noun)
  The noun NAPHTHALENE has 1 sense:

1. a white crystalline strong-smelling hydrocarbon made from coal tar or petroleum and used in organic synthesis and as a fumigant in mothballs

  Familiarity information: NAPHTHALENE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NAPHTHALENE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A white crystalline strong-smelling hydrocarbon made from coal tar or petroleum and used in organic synthesis and as a fumigant in mothballs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("naphthalene" is a kind of...):

hydrocarbon (an organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen)

Holonyms ("naphthalene" is a substance of...):

camphor ball; mothball (a small sphere of camphor or naphthalene used to keep moths away from stored clothing)

coal tar (a tar formed from distillation of bituminous coal; coal tar can be further distilled to give various aromatic compounds)

 Context examples 

For the model, they put grains of “naphthalene and biphenyl — two toxic, carbon and hydrogen bearing compounds believed to exist on Titan’s surface — into a small cylinder.”

('Electric Sands' Cover Titan, VOA News)

A semi-synthetic naphthalene and beta-lactam antibiotic with antibacterial activity.

(Nafcillin, NCI Thesaurus)

This includes arenes and their substitution products (e.g., benzene, naphthalene, toluene).

(Aromatic Compounds, NCI Thesaurus)

Naphthalene is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen and may be associated with an increased risk of developing laryngeal and colorectal cancer.

(Naphthalene, NCI Thesaurus)

The sodium salt form of nafcillin, a semi-synthetic naphthalene, penicillin-related Nafcillin inhibits bacterial wall synthesis by a mechanism of action similar to penicillin.

(Nafcillin Sodium, NCI Thesaurus)

Coal tar is a complex mixture of organic substances, including benzene, phenols, sulfur, aniline, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, anthracene and phenanthrene.

(Coal Tar, NCI Thesaurus)

An aromatic hydrocarbon in coal tar, allied to naphthalene and anthracene.

(Chrysene, NCI Thesaurus)

A class of compounds with the basic naphthalene structure, an aromatic hydrocarbon compound, consisting of two fused benzene rings.

(Naphthalene Compound, NCI Thesaurus)

Exposure to naphthalene is associated with hemolytic anemia, damage to the liver and neurological system, cataracts and retinal hemorrhage.

(Naphthalene, NCI Thesaurus)

Naphthalene is obtained from either coal tar or petroleum distillation and is primarily used to manufacture phthalic anhydride, but is also used in moth repellents.

(Naphthalene, NCI Thesaurus)