mineral oil

Save This Word!

noun

a colorless, oily, almost tasteless, water-insoluble liquid, usually of either a standard light density (light mineral oil ) or a standard heavy density (heavy mineral oil ), consisting of mixtures of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum by distillation: used chiefly as a lubricant, in the manufacture of cosmetics, and in medicine as a laxative.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called liquid petrolatum.

Origin of mineral oil

First recorded in 1795–1805

Words nearby mineral oil

mineral jelly, mineral kingdom, mineralocorticoid, mineralogy, mineraloid, mineral oil, mineral pitch, minerals, mineral spirits, mineral spring, mineral tar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mineral oil in a sentence

HipDot, for example, focuses on marketing language that products are clean and vegan with no talc, parabens or mineral oils.
‘Full products and brands’: How the merch-ization of beauty is being shaped by celebs, venture capital|jim cooper|September 7, 2021|Digiday
However, the list of ingredients it doesn’t have includes aluminum, silicone, microbeads, mineral oil, parabens, and many other substances that you may be trying to eliminate from your life.
Best aluminum-free deodorant: Keep odor at bay naturally with these formulations|Irena Collaku|August 23, 2021|Popular-Science
When in doubt, check the ingredients list and look for words such as ceramides, glycerin, and mineral oils.
Five tips for taking care of your over-washed hands|Sandra Gutierrez G.|December 20, 2020|Popular-Science
Suspend a shelf, breadbox or rack with wire around which is tied a piece of cotton cloth, saturated with a mineral oil.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various

This mineral oil also occurs in several of the lower tributaries of the Alleghany River, within the coal district.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
The heat is so great that only a special high grade mineral oil will do.
Farm Engines and How to Run Them|James H. Stephenson
They are then struck and oiled with heavy mineral oil and dried for stuffing.
Animal Proteins|Hugh Garner Bennett
Another source of mineral oil is shale, such as is to be found in vast deposits in the south-east of Scotland.
Marvels of Scientific Invention|Thomas W. Corbin

British Dictionary definitions for mineral oil

mineral oil

noun

British any oil of mineral origin, esp petroleum

US and Canadian a colourless almost tasteless oily liquid obtained by petroleum distillation and used as a laxativeAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): liquid paraffin

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 mineral oil

mineral oil

A colorless, odorless, tasteless oil distilled from petroleum. It is used as a lubricant and, in medicine, as a laxative.