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

Natural methods like vinegar, citrus, essential oils, and diatomaceous earth can disrupt or repel ants, though frequent reapplication is needed to keep them effective. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 25 May 2025

To extend their lifespan and keep them smelling delightful, remove perfumes and essential oils from your medicine cabinet and store them in a cool, dry place instead. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2025

Simply place a few drops of a favorite essential oil blend onto the accompanying diffuser disc, sit back, and take a deep breath of lightly scented air. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 13 Apr. 2025

Byer has also worked in essential oil blends for more than 15 years, initially just for family and friends but soon expanding to pop-ups and craft shows. —Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for essential oil

• aerofoil
• cinquefoil
• hydrofoil
• quatrefoil
• airfoil
• benzoyl
• despoil
• embroil
• etoile
• gargoyle
• recoil
• subsoil

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