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

Basil’s essential oils live in microscopic sacs on parts of the plant. —Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 11 June 2024

The Yon-Ka Paris skincare and infused essential oils (made with ingredients sourced from the ranch’s many gardens) elevate any treatment. —Mariah Tyler, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2024

The early wake-up call is made a whole lot easier after a great night’s sleep aided by the calming essential oil diffusers and Avocado mattresses in-room accompanied by nature’s ultimate sound machine—waves caressing the shore below. —Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 21 May 2024

But Take Note Due to the essential oil ingredients, this spray isn’t recommended for babies who are younger than 6 months old. —Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 31 May 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