unguent

American  

[uhng-gwuhnt] / ˈʌŋ gwənt /

noun

1. an ointment or salve, usually liquid or semiliquid, for application to wounds, sores, etc.

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unguent British  

/ ˈʌŋɡwənt /

noun

1. a less common name for an ointment

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Other Word Forms

• unguentary adjective

Etymology

Origin of unguent

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin unguentum, alteration (probably by association with the suffixes -men, -mentum ) of unguen fat, grease, derivative of unguere to smear, anoint

Explanation

That sometimes sticky or greasy salve you put on cuts or rashes is also called an unguent. Whether it's a cream or a gel, the main purpose of an unguent is to heal or protect a sore. Unguent comes from the Latin unguentum, "ointment." Ancient unguents were luxurious and included fragrant oils used to anoint and perfume the skin. Some were even symbolically incorporated into religious ceremonies. In old-time of medicine shows, potions and unguents were sold as having magical properties but were usually concocted from common ingredients that could sometimes even be dangerous.

Example Sentences

Likewise, “sefet” is thought to refer to a sacred oil, but three vessels with that label contained animal fats combined with plant additives, suggesting it could be a scented unguent instead.

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2023

Bert Parks, 65, for 25 years the mellow master of ceremonies whose rendition of that unguent ballad had become something of a late-summer tradition, has not been invited back for 1980's Miss America contest.

From Time Magazine Archive

Commentators could not help detecting one fly in the unguent, and greatly fearing another.

From Time Magazine Archive

The strict eating plan and unguent tone seem to be the focus of particular hatred.

From Time Magazine Archive

Many shunned him; a few nodded, and handed him their weapons; he rubbed the unguent on the stock and muzzle, all the while whispering to the firearm coaxingly in some unknown tongue.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson