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

The 6 Best Mouse Traps Use Natural Repellents Use natural repellents like essential oils of peppermint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, or cedarwood to repel mice. —Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2025

The chips can be burned for incense, and the chips and powder alike can then be turned into oud essential oil through steam distillation. —Sable Yong, Allure, 17 Jan. 2025

Whether a cocktail made from pineapples clarified through soy milk or a mezcal blend infused with essential oils extracted via subcritical CO2, Tubert’s technique incites intrigue in sampling his next invention. —Lilian Raji, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

Resorts in tropical locales may use fresh, local ingredients like coconut or aloe, while desert retreats often incorporate grounding elements like clay or essential oils. —Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 1 Jan. 2025

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