Lexic.us

Definition of Rock oil

1. Noun. A dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons.

Definition of Rock oil

1. Noun. (dated) naphtha ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Medical Definition of Rock oil

1. Rock oil, mineral oil, or natural oil, a dark brown or greenish inflammable liquid, which, at certain points, exists in the upper strata of the earth, from whence it is pumped, or forced by pressure of the gas attending it. It consists of a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons, largely of the methane series, but may vary much in appearance, composition, and properties. It is refined by distillation, and the products include kerosene, benzine, gasoline, paraffin, etc. Petroleum spirit, a volatile liquid obtained in the distillation of crude petroleum at a temperature of 170 deg Fahr, or below. The term is rather loosely applied to a considerable range of products, including benzine and ligroin. The terms petroleum ether, and naphtha, are sometimes applied to the still more volatile products, including rhigolene, gasoline, cymogene, etc. Origin: NL, fr. L. Petra a rock + oleum oil: cf. F. Petrole. Cf. Petrify, and Oil. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Rock Oil

Literary usage of Rock oil

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"Brunner used to condense the vapor by passing it into a small copper vessel charged with rock-oil (see PARAFFIN, vol. xviii. p. 241), in which liquid the ..."

2. The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography: Being the History of the by James Terry White (1895)
"The presence of " rock oil " in the earth has been known for a very long period, ... The Pennsylvania rock oil company had been organized in 1858, ..."

3. Hunt's Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review by Isaac Smith Homans, Freeman Hunt, Thomas Prentice Kettell, William Buck Dana (1860)
"A letter to the Evening Post contains the following interesting facts in relation to rock oil:— Knowing that some of your readers have been interested in ..."

4. The History of the Standard Oil Company by Ida Minerva Tarbell (1904)
"The camphene lamp appears to be about one-fifth superior to it, but, on the other hand, the rock-oil surpasses the camphene by more than one-half in economy ..."

5. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science by Kansas Academy of Science (1887)
"Hancock county, Ohio, and other places, the work done by means of natural gas is enormous, and is increasing. This gas, like petroleum or rock oil, ..."

6. Judicial and Statutory Definitions of Words and Phrases by West Publishing Company (1904)
"Petroleum or rock oil Is essentially composed of carbon and hydrogen, ... It Is the same as rock oil. Murray v. Allard, 43 SW 355, 357, 100 Tenn. ..."

7. Hand-book of Chemistry by Leopold Gmelin, Henry Watts (1858)
"The coal-oil thus produced is transparent and greenish yellow; boils at 167°; has a sp. gr. of 0'836; smells and tastes like rock-oil; is not altered by ..."

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