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

Menthol crystals boost the scent of essential oils and help amplify the aroma. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026

Strips of lemon and orange zest perfume batters and fillings with their invigorating essential oils. —Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Jan. 2026

In keeping with the holistic approach throughout the resort, Biologique Recherche and MEI Spa products are used; these lines focus on organic active ingredients, phyto cosmetics, and essential oils. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026

Moreover, herbs preserved in this way keep their original color and essential oils, maintaining a strong flavor that is unmatched by traditional air-drying. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 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