ointment
Americannoun
-
ointments
plural
noun
-
a fatty or oily medicated formulation applied to the skin to heal or protect
-
a similar substance used as a cosmetic
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
There is a fly in the ointment of these historical averages, however — a big one.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
"The big fly in the ointment is sewage coming into the canal," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The vitamin K shot is one of the three main interventions, along with the hepatitis B vaccine and an antibiotic ointment in the eyes, that newborns typically receive before leaving the hospital.
From Salon ● May 7, 2026
The human-headed fly in the ointment is the island itself, which is a supernatural smorgasbord, mostly quiet but waking up just in time to meet the visitors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
Old Gaffer Gamgee got two sacks of potatoes, a new spade, a woollen waistcoat, and a bottle of ointment for creaking joints.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
The study shows that petrolatum-based eye ointments can cause a popular glaucoma implant to swell and, in some cases, rupture.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 16, 2026
The investment is meant in part to help the company respond to a surge in the number of medications that require more complicated logistics handling than traditional pills, cough syrups and topical ointments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
"It's the season for skin infections and we don't have creams or ointments for bacterial infections, no medicines to treat scabies and head lice."
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2025
“Creams and ointments are always better than lotions, things out of jars are always better than things out of a pump bottle,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025
With fumbling hands, the old man lit a candle and carried it to the workroom beneath the rookery stair, where his ointments, potions, and medicines stood neatly on their shelves.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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