mineral oil
    n 1: a distillate of petroleum (especially one used medicinally
         as a laxative or stool softener)

Mineral \Min"er*al\, a.
   1. Of or pertaining to minerals; consisting of a mineral or
      of minerals; as, a mineral substance.
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   2. Impregnated with minerals; as, mineral waters.
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   Mineral acids (Chem.), inorganic acids, as sulphuric,
      nitric, phosphoric, hydrochloric, acids, etc., as
      distinguished from the organic acids.

   Mineral blue, the name usually given to azurite, when
      reduced to an impalpable powder for coloring purposes.

   Mineral candle, a candle made of paraffin.

   Mineral caoutchouc, an elastic mineral pitch, a variety of
      bitumen, resembling caoutchouc in elasticity and softness.
      See Caoutchouc, and Elaterite.

   Mineral chameleon (Chem.) See Chameleon mineral, under
      Chameleon.

   Mineral charcoal. See under Charcoal.

   Mineral cotton. See Mineral wool (below).

   Mineral green, a green carbonate of copper; malachite.

   Mineral kingdom (Nat. Sci.), that one of the three grand
      divisions of nature which embraces all inorganic objects,
      as distinguished from plants or animals.

   Mineral oil. See Naphtha, and Petroleum.

   Mineral paint, a pigment made chiefly of some natural
      mineral substance, as red or yellow iron ocher.

   Mineral patch. See Bitumen, and Asphalt.

   Mineral right, the right of taking minerals from land.

   Mineral salt (Chem.), a salt of a mineral acid.

   Mineral tallow, a familiar name for hatchettite, from its
      fatty or spermaceti-like appearance.

   Mineral water. See under Water.

   Mineral wax. See Ozocerite.

   Mineral wool, a fibrous wool-like material, made by blowing
      a powerful jet of air or steam through melted slag. It is
      a poor conductor of heat.
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Naphtha \Naph"tha\ (n[a^]f"th[.a] or n[a^]p"th[.a]), n. [L.
   naphtha, Gr. na`fqa, fr.Ar. nafth, nifth.]
   1. (Chem.) The complex mixture of volatile, liquid,
      inflammable hydrocarbons, occurring naturally, and usually
      called crude petroleum, mineral oil, or rock oil.
      Specifically: That portion of the distillate obtained in
      the refinement of petroleum which is intermediate between
      the lighter gasoline and the heavier benzine, and has a
      specific gravity of about 0.7, -- used as a solvent for
      varnishes, as a carburetant, illuminant, etc.
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   2. (Chem.) One of several volatile inflammable liquids
      obtained by the distillation of certain carbonaceous
      materials and resembling the naphtha from petroleum; as,
      Boghead naphtha, from Boghead coal (obtained at Boghead,
      Scotland); crude naphtha, or light oil, from coal tar;
      wood naphtha, from wood, etc.
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   Note: This term was applied by the earlier chemical writers
         to a number of volatile, strong smelling, inflammable
         liquids, chiefly belonging to the ethers, as the
         sulphate, nitrate, or acetate of ethyl. --Watts.
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   Naphtha vitrioli [NL., naphtha of vitriol] (Old Chem.),
      common ethyl ether; -- formerly called sulphuric ether.
      See Ether.
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