elemi

noun

el·​e·​mi ˈe-lə-mē How to pronounce elemi (audio)
: any of various fragrant oleoresins from tropical trees (family Burseraceae) used chiefly in varnishes, lacquers, and printing inks

Examples of elemi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Canarium trees used to make elemi resin would have been found in African and Asian rainforests. Peter Weber, The Week, 2 Feb. 2023 The researchers also identified more exotic ingredients, including dammar and elemi, resins extracted from hardwoods native to Southeast Asian rainforests thousands of kilometers from ancient Egypt. Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Feb. 2023 The heart reveals two more types of pepper, along with vetiver, patchouli, geranium and elemi. Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022 Designed to be attention grabbing, this cologne has top notes of elemi, bergamot and Sichuan pepper, giving it a slightly spicy and citrusy opening. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Nov. 2022 Pink peppercorn, juniper berry, green cardamom, elemi, olibanum, calamus, black ceylon tea, bourbon vanilla, haitian vetiver, cypriol. Jamie Wilson, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Nov. 2022 Top notes of cumin, elemi, clove, saffron and Chébé mingle with a heart of olibanum, leather, rose, jasmine and oud, and a base of myrrh, patchouli, cedar and sandalwood. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elemi.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin elimi, probably from Arabic al lāmi the elemi

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elemi was in 1543

Dictionary Entries Near elemi

Cite this Entry

“Elemi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elemi. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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