ichthammol

American

[ik-tham-awl, -ol, ik-thuh-mawl, -mol] / ɪkˈθæm ɔl, -ɒl, ˈɪk θəˌmɔl, -ˌmɒl /

noun

Pharmacology.

a viscous, reddish-brown to brownish-black substance, obtained by the destructive distillation of bituminous shales, used in medicine chiefly as an antiseptic, analgesic, and local stimulant in skin disorders.

Etymology

Origin of ichthammol

1905–10; ichth(yo)- (from ichthyosulfonate ) + amm(onium) + -ol 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.

Q: Ichthammol ointment is great for splinters.

From Seattle Times

The comment about “black salve” reminded me of the hundreds of times my dad, an OB/GYN, treated my wounds, or his own, with foul-smelling Ichthammol.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023