Turpentine (nonfiction)

Turpentine (also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, wood turpentine and colloquially turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from live trees, mainly pines.

It is mainly used as a solvent and as a source of materials for organic synthesis.

Turpentine is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene with lesser amounts of carene, camphene, dipentene, and terpinolene.

The word turpentine derives (via French and Latin) from the Greek word τερεβινθίνη terebinthine, the name of a species of tree, the terebinth tree (nonfiction).

Mineral turpentine or other petroleum distillates are used to replace turpentine, but they are very different chemically.

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Tar (nonfiction)
• Tar Baby (nonfiction)

Fiction cross-reference

• Tar and Turpentine
• Turpentine

External links

• Turpentine @ Wikipedia