lotion
Americannoun
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lotions
plural
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Pharmacology. a liquid, usually aqueous or sometimes alcoholic preparation containing insoluble material in the form of a suspension or emulsion, intended for external application without rubbing, in such skin conditions as itching, infection, allergy, pain, or the like.
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a liquid cosmetic, usually containing agents for soothing or softening the skin, especially that of the face or hands.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lotion
1350–1400; Middle English locion < Latin lōtiōn- (stem of lōtiō ) a washing. See lotic, -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Originally used in 16th-century England to describe a new idea in philosophy or religion, the term can be used to define almost anything, from a new sunscreen lotion to an mRNA vaccine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
Scabies is not usually serious but does need to be treated, normally by applying an over-the-counter cream or lotion to the entire body, with the treatment repeated seven days later.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2026
When his dad’s balance from his personal allowance started to go over the limit, Murguia had to use it to buy things such as shampoo and body lotion.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2025
Forced to smear herself with a lotion that Teddy claims saps her powers, she does it with feathery spa fingers like she’s getting a facial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
Then she pours acidic-smelling lotion onto my hair.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
She co-founded the vegan skincare company Hyphen with Bollywood star Kriti Sanon in 2023 and also runs mCaffeine which makes scrubs, washes and lotions and calls itself India's first caffeinated personal care brand.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The tetrapod lotions also remained more stable as time passed.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
A well-scented man, Lou stocked his bathroom with rows of tonics and lotions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
Bath & Body Works sold “Bridgerton”-themed fragrance collections such as “Diamond of the Season” starting in March, with lotions, soaps and candles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024
As Englewood gained population, Holmes’s sales of tonics and lotions increased.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
