ointment
Americannoun
noun
-
a fatty or oily medicated formulation applied to the skin to heal or protect
-
a similar substance used as a cosmetic
Etymology
Origin of ointment
1250–1300; obsolete oint (aphetic variant of anoint ) + -ment; replacing Middle English oignement < Old French < Vulgar Latin *unguimentum for Latin unguentum; see unguent
Explanation
Ointment is an oily kind of cream that you use to soothe or heal your skin. You might want to apply a bit of ointment to that festering flesh wound on your forehead. Just saying. Ointment is viscous — in other words, it's somewhere between a solid and a liquid, with a slippery, oily texture. Some medications come in ointment form, while other ointments might be lip balm, a moisturizer for dry skin, or even a cosmetic. The Old French oignement came from the Latin unguentum, from the stem unguere, "to anoint or salve."
Vocabulary lists containing ointment
"Be Prepared" by Vera Brosgol
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Pharmacy Words
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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.
This particular strain has been tied to three eye care products produced by Global Pharma in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu: EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam’s Artificial Tears and Artificial Eye Ointment.
From Washington Times • Apr. 4, 2023
Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment, which has not been linked directly to illness but was produced by Global Pharma Healthcare, the same manufacturer behind the Delsam Pharma’s artificial tears, has also been recalled.
From Washington Post • Mar. 23, 2023
Q: When I worked in a nursing home 30 years ago, the nurses often used a mixture of A+D Ointment and a packet of table sugar to heal any bedsores that cropped up.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 13, 2022
This pack of Aquphor Healing Ointment is now $9, or 45 percent off the regular price.
From Slate • Nov. 13, 2020
Take of Mercurial Ointment four pounds, Venice Turpentine half a pound, Oil of Turpentine one pint: mix thoroughly.
From A Treatise on Sheep: The Best Means for their Improvement, General Management, and the Treatment of their Diseases. by Blacklock, Ambrose
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.
