citronella

[ si-truh-nel-uh ]

noun
  1. a fragrant grass, Cymbopogon nardus, of southern Asia, cultivated as the source of citronella oil.

Origin of citronella

1
1855–60; <New Latin <French citronelle, equivalent to citroncitron + -elle diminutive suffix

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British Dictionary definitions for citronella

citronella

/ (ˌsɪtrəˈnɛlə) /


noun
  1. Also called: citronella grass a tropical Asian grass, Cymbopogon (or Andropogon) nardus, with bluish-green lemon-scented leaves

  2. Also called: citronella oil the yellow aromatic oil obtained from this grass, used in insect repellents, soaps, perfumes, etc

Origin of citronella

1
C19: New Latin, from French citronnelle lemon balm, from citron lemon

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for citronella

citronella

[ sĭt′rə-nĕlə ]


  1. The pale-yellow, lemon-scented oil obtained from the leaves of a tropical Asian grass (Cymbopogon nardus), used in insect repellents and perfumes. Citronella consists primarily of an aldehyde of octane.

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