Mineral oil

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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19 Moby Thesaurus words for "mineral oil":
      animal oil, cerate, drying oil, essential oil, ester, fat,
      fatty oil, fixed oil, grease, hydrogenated fat, lipid, oil, oleum,
      polyunsaturated fat, sebum, tallow, unsaturated fat, vegetable oil,
      volatile oil