naphthalene

noun

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

Roots

naphthanaphth- · Persian · flammable liquid, bitumen al-al · English · chemical suffix ene-ene · Greek · unsaturated hydrocarbon suffix

Synonyms & related words for naphthalene

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Words related to naphthalene

Explore words related to naphthalene — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include naphthalin, naphthalic, naphthalenic, methylnaphthalene, benzanthracene, anthracene, naphthylamine, biphenyl. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does naphthalene come from?

The word naphthalene breaks down into 3 roots of Persian, English, and Greek origin: naphth, from Persian naphtha (“flammable liquid, bitumen”); -al, from English al (“chemical suffix”); and -ene, from Greek ene (“unsaturated hydrocarbon suffix”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.