ointment

[ oint-muhnt ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. a soft, unctuous preparation, often medicated, for application to the skin; unguent.

   Synonyms: nard, balm, salve

ointment

/ ˈɔɪntmənt /

noun

1. a fatty or oily medicated formulation applied to the skin to heal or protect
2. a similar substance used as a cosmetic

Word History and Origins

Origin of ointment¹

1250–1300; obsolete oint (aphetic variant of anoint ) + -ment; replacing Middle English oignement < Old French < Vulgar Latin *unguimentum for Latin unguentum; unguent

Word History and Origins

Origin of ointment¹

C14: from Old French oignement, from Latin unguentum unguent

Idioms and Phrases

see fly in the ointment .

Example Sentences

In the first big taste of what's to come from the pop star's seventh album, Gaga puts herself on blast in the video for the first single, where terrible things transpire in what would otherwise appear to be a sleepy suburb stalked by one version of herself with bloodshot eyes that could really use an ointment of some sort.

From Salon

You still have to stand in line at CVS for ointment.

From Slate

“This was a brief moment when he was trying some sort of topical hair ointment,” Finneas says, “and so he was like, ‘Can you do this every day?’”

From Los Angeles Times

But a few days later it was discovered that the medication was given to the colt in ointment for a rash on his hind quarters.

From Los Angeles Times

“Shouldn’t we dip his stub into some rubbing alcohol or something? Don’t we have ointment?”

From Literature

Related Words

• balm
• lotion
• salve