essential oil

noun

: any of a class of volatile oils that give plants their characteristic odors and are used especially in perfumes and flavorings, and for aromatherapy compare fixed oil

Examples of essential oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This one is made from natural ingredients, including walnut husks, cleansing soap, and lemon essential oil. —Leah Muncy, Architectural Digest, 20 Sep. 2024

Now legacy brands and start-ups alike are infusing things like dish soap and surface cleaner with high-end fragrances and essential oils. —Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 18 Sep. 2024

Bisabolol comes from the essential oils found in chamomile plants. —Rosanna Sutherby, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2024

This trendy hand sanitizer comes in mood-boosting scents made with hydrating ingredients including aloe vera and lemon essential oil. —Addie Morton, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

essential oil

noun

: any of a large class of volatile odoriferous oils of vegetable origin that give plants their characteristic odors and often other properties, that are obtained from various parts of the plants (as flowers, leaves, or bark) by steam distillation, expression, or extraction, that are usually mixtures of compounds (as aldehydes or esters), and that are used often in the form of essences in perfumes, flavorings, and pharmaceutical preparations

called also ethereal oil, volatile oil

compare fatty oil, fixed oil