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

Talk to your healthcare provider before using essential oils for specific health concerns. —T'keyah Bazin, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2026

Remember, essential oils are flammable, so never add them to dryers. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026

Find blankets and pillows to keep you and your guests cozy, and make sure to stock up on plenty of bug spray, bug-repellent fans, and essential oils (citronella and lavender work well) to keep your summer evenings pest-free. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2026

Alternatively, Koala Eco mild dishwashing liquid with essential oils, also diluted with water, works as a natural polish for your wood furniture. —Sunshine Flint, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026

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