ointment

noun

oint·​ment ˈȯint-mənt 

: a salve or unguent for application to the skin

Examples of ointment in a Sentence

You should put some ointment on that cut.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some families are also rejecting the eye ointment. —Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026

Hydrocortisone creams or ointments may help short-term inflammation or itching, but people shouldn’t use topical steroids for more than two weeks at a time because these drugs can make the skin thinner and lead to inflammation. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Let’s let there still be the fly in the ointment there. —Max Gao, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026

Like the items in your kitchen, medications (including creams, ointments, pain relievers, and more) all come with their own set of expiration dates. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, alteration of oynement, from Anglo-French uignement, oignement, ultimately from Latin unguentum, from unguere to anoint; akin to Old High German ancho butter, Sanskrit anakti he salves

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ointment

• fly in the ointment

Rhymes for ointment

• appointment
• disappointment
• reappointment

Kids Definition

ointment

noun

oint·​ment ˈȯint-mənt 

: a semisolid greasy medicine for use on the skin

Medical Definition

ointment

noun

oint·​ment ˈȯint-mənt 

: a salve or unguent for application to the skin

specifically : a semisolid medicinal preparation usually having a base of fatty or greasy material