petroleum jelly

noun

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Definition of petroleum jelly

: a neutral unctuous odorless tasteless substance obtained from petroleum and used especially in ointments and dressings

See petroleum jelly defined for English-language learners

See petroleum jelly defined for kids

Recent Examples of petroleum jelly from the Web

For tinder, stuff petroleum jelly–soaked cotton balls into a couple of film canisters.

— nick davidson, Outside Online, "The Ultimate DIY Bug-Out Bag," 27 June 2018
And like petroleum jelly, baby powder can also be used on chafed skin to soothe the irritation.

— maria masters, Health.com, "7 Ways to Prevent Thigh Rub," 6 May 2016
Another cost-effective way to remove the product is to use petroleum jelly.

— fiza pirani, ajc, "Falling asleep with mascara on can be dangerous — top mascara beauty tips," 6 June 2018
Applying petroleum jelly to the area between going can help protect the skin, too, Dr. Bedford says.

— korin miller, SELF, "12 Colonoscopy Prep Tips From Gastroenterologists to Make the Whole Thing Less Hellish," 18 May 2018
On a twin bed covered by a thin clear plastic sheet, sat a bag with surgical gloves, a jar of petroleum jelly, cotton wool, some pain killers and the needle, attached to a long, thin tube, which is used to drain the fluid into a bucket on the floor.

— alex platt, CNN, "Trump's ban on global abortion funding has led to more abortions," 24 May 2018
Apply moisturizing ointments such as petroleum jelly several times daily especially soon after bathing.

— Philly.com, "Bath additives not needed to treat eczema," 8 May 2018
Do not try to remove a tick with a hot match or petroleum jelly, WebMD says, as that could cause the tick to regurgitate infected fluids into the wound.

— dwight adams, Indianapolis Star, "Diseases from mosquito and tick bites are on rise in U.S. Here's what you can do about it.," 1 May 2018
Using high-speed videography, the researchers recorded 18 male American cockroaches repeatedly running across an acrylic track with only one climbable wall (other walls were coated with petroleum jelly).

— douglas quenqua, New York Times, "How Cockroaches Crash Into Walls and Keep Going," 13 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'petroleum jelly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of petroleum jelly

1883

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

PETROLEUM JELLY Defined for English Language Learners

petroleum jelly

noun

Definition of petroleum jelly for English Language Learners

: an oily substance that is made from petroleum, has no taste or odor, and is used especially in products that are rubbed on the skin to help heal a wound, reduce pain, etc.