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

Extracts of cinnamon, and in particular several organic volatiles and essential oil compounds extracted from cinnamon, have yielded some pretty impressive results in terms of deterring insect and fungal activity. —Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025

To rid odors from your comforter, Stein recommends adding a few drops of essential oil to your wool dryer balls. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025

Powered by essential oils, the brand’s products are built on chemistry as much as comedy. —William Jones, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025

This unique shop features incense, candles, crystals, essential oils, artisanal teas, and an eclectic selection of home decor and pottery. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 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