Noun: naphthalene 'naf-thu,leen
- A white crystalline strong-smelling hydrocarbon made from coal tar or petroleum and used in organic synthesis and as a fumigant in mothballs
"The old closet smelled strongly of naphthalene"
Derived forms: naphthalenes
Type of: hydrocarbon
Part of: camphor ball, coal tar, mothball
Encyclopedia: Naphthalene