Adjacent Words

menthol definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a crystalline compound that has the cool and minty taste and odor that occurs naturally in peppermint oil; used as a flavoring and in medicine to relieve itching, pain, and nasal congestion
2: a lotion containing menthol which gives it the smell of mint

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: German, ultimately from Latin mentha mint Date: 1876 1. a crystalline alcohol C₁₀H₂₀O that occurs especially in mint oils and has the odor and cooling properties of peppermint 2. plural mentholated cigarettes

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a mint-tasting organic alcohol found in oil of peppermint etc., used as a flavouring and to relieve local pain. Etymology: G f. L mentha MINT(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Camphor Cam"phor, n. [OE. camfere, F. camphre (cf. It. camfara, Sp. camfara, alcanfor, LL. camfora, camphara, NGr. ?), fr. Ar. k[=a]f[=u]r, prob. fr. Skr. karp[=u]ra.] 1. A tough, white, aromatic resin, or gum, obtained from different species of the Laurus family, esp. from Cinnamomum camphara (the Laurus camphara of Linn[ae]us.). Camphor, C10H16O, is volatile and fragrant, and is used in medicine as a diaphoretic, a stimulant, or sedative. 2. A gum resembling ordinary camphor, obtained from a tree (Dryobalanops camphora) growing in Sumatra and Borneo; -- called also Malay camphor, camphor of Borneo, or borneol. See Borneol. Note: The name camphor is also applied to a number of bodies of similar appearance and properties, as cedar camphor, obtained from the red or pencil cedar (Juniperus Virginiana), and peppermint camphor, or menthol, obtained from the oil of peppermint. Camphor oil (Chem.), name variously given to certain oil-like products, obtained especially from the camphor tree. Camphor tree, a large evergreen tree (Cinnamomum Camphora) with lax, smooth branches and shining triple-nerved lanceolate leaves, probably native in China, but now cultivated in most warm countries. Camphor is collected by a process of steaming the chips of the wood and subliming the product.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Menthol Men"thol, n. [Mentha + -ol.] (Chem.) A white, crystalline, aromatic substance resembling camphor, extracted from oil of peppermint (Mentha); -- called also mint camphor or peppermint camphor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Menthol is a substance that smells a bit like peppermint and is used to flavour things such as cigarettes and toothpaste. It is also used in some medicines, especially for curing colds.