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

The PureGuardian humidifier also has an aromatherapy tray for your favorite essential oils. —Claire Peltier, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026

Mint's aromatic leaves can help repel cabbage moths2—in fact, many organic pesticides contain the essential oil of mint. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026

Wasps are naturally repelled by peppermint, clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026

Instead, Rousell recommends a more subtle approach, like an essential oil diffuser that uses natural fragrances believed to boost focus and mood, such as lavender, citrus, and rosemary. —Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 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