calamine

American  

[kal-uh-mahyn, -min] / ˈkæl əˌmaɪn, -mɪn /

noun

1. a pink, water-insoluble powder consisting of zinc oxide and about 0.5 percent ferric oxide, used in ointments, lotions, or the like, for the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the skin.

2. Mineralogy. hemimorphite.

3. Chiefly British. smithsonite.

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calamine British  

/ ˈkæləˌmaɪn /

noun

1. a pink powder consisting of zinc oxide and ferric oxide, (iron(III) oxide), used medicinally in the form of soothing lotions or ointments

2. another name for smithsonite hemimorphite

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Etymology

Origin of calamine

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin calamīna, unexplained alteration of Latin cadmia cadmium; see -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Calamine lotions or creams containing menthol can also cut the itch a bit.

From Washington Post • Sep. 10, 2021

For some there was also the draw that residents of what is known in French as La Calamine could avoid military service in Prussia or Belgium.

From Reuters • May 21, 2016

Calamine, kal′a-mīn, n. an ore consisting essentially of carbonate of zinc.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Calamine is mostly found in barren, rocky soils.

From A Catechism of Familiar Things; Their History, and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery. With a Short Explanation of Some of the Principal Natural Phenomena. For the Use of Schools and Families. Enlarged and Revised Edition. by Anonymous

Calamine lotion is one of the best applications which can be employed for this disorder.

From The Home Medical Library, Volume II (of VI) by Winslow, Kenelm