lotion
Americannoun
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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:
But he showed a talent for selling as a teenager when he hawked bottles of aftershave lotion out of the trunk of his Buick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Mismatched travel-size bottles of shampoo and lotion make her itch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
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
She says the current trend to create tan lines by burning in the sun, coupled with false claims that suntan lotion is responsible for the very cancer it's trying to prevent is a "perfect storm".
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2025
She walked up close to me, so close so I could smell her lotion, and my heart started going all quick.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
This treatment is FDA approved, widely available over the counter, and comes in topical forms such as lotions and foams.
From Science Daily ● May 7, 2026
The oldest millennials—the nation’s biggest generation—are entering their mid-40s and devouring a torrent of new supplements, lotions, pills, gels, books and podcasts devoted to menopause relief.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Aluminium can manufacturer Ball, which already offers recyclable aluminium packaging for shampoos and lotions, has invested in Meadow and will offer the system to the big personal care brands it works with.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2025
“Creams and ointments are always better than lotions, things out of jars are always better than things out of a pump bottle,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025
As business grows, we push the shelves closer together, erect special displays at the ends of the aisles, crowd the lotions.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
