calamine
Americannoun
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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.
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Mineralogy. hemimorphite.
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Chiefly British. smithsonite.
noun
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a pink powder consisting of zinc oxide and ferric oxide, (iron(III) oxide), used medicinally in the form of soothing lotions or ointments
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another name for smithsonite hemimorphite
Etymology
Origin of calamine
1595–1605; < Medieval Latin calamīna, unexplained alteration of Latin cadmia cadmium; see -ine 1
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.
You can use calamine lotion or over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to reduce or alleviate the itch.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2023
For topical relief, the American Dermatological Association recommends calamine lotion, which has cooling properties.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2023
Thankfully, it can be treated with common rash remedies, such as calamine lotion.
From Fox News • Nov. 1, 2018
Maybe not directly opposite for some people, but he’s as much of a comfort, at least as calamine lotion.
From Salon • Oct. 13, 2018
I was lathered up in calamine lotion and had swallowed a bucketful of antihistamines with my morning orange juice.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
