petrolatum

American  

[pe-truh-lay-tuhm, -lah-] / ˌpɛ trəˈleɪ təm, -ˈlɑ- /

noun

1. a yellowish or whitish, translucent, gelatinous, oily, semisolid, amorphous mass obtained from petroleum: used as a lubricant, rust preventive, in the manufacture of cosmetics, and in medicine as a protective dressing, emollient, and ointment base.

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petrolatum British  

/ ˌpɛtrəˈleɪtəm /

noun

1. Also called: mineral jelly, petroleum jelly. a translucent gelatinous substance obtained from petroleum; used as a lubricant and in medicine as an ointment base and protective dressing

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Etymology

Origin of petrolatum

1885–90, < New Latin; see petroleum, -ate ²

Compare meaning

How does petrolatum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• petrolatum vs. petroleum

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

petrolatum

Applying a thick layer of lip balm with moisturizing ingredients like petrolatum or shea butter before bedtime will also nourish your lips and prevent chapping, Rogers said.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024

It’s 41 percent petrolatum, with a bunch of other ingredients mixed in whose names also mean nothing to me.

From Slate ● Mar. 22, 2021

Regular ol’ ChapStick actually brags about its petrolatum content, boasting under the active-ingredients list that the skin protectant comprises 40 percent of the product.

From Slate ● Feb. 9, 2019

Sweet Sweat, it turns out, is a holistic “workout enhancer” that stimulates perspiration and circulation with a mix of White Snow petrolatum, Brazilian Carnauba wax, Acai pulp, and pomegranate, jojoba, and virgin Camelina oils.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 18, 2018

Hess and Unger found that cod-liver oil and liquid petrolatum prevented constipation but failed to prevent scurvy.

From The Vitamine Manual by Walter H. Eddy