citronellal

noun

cit·​ro·​nel·​lal ˌsi-trə-ˈne-ˌlal How to pronounce citronellal (audio)
: a lemon-odored aldehyde C10H18O that is derived especially from citronella oil and is used in perfumery and as an insect repellent

Examples of citronellal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In a lab setting, citronellal has been found to repel bugs. —Benjamin Whitacre, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2022 Their oils contain at least 10 to 20 percent citronellal. —Benjamin Whitacre, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'citronellal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from New Latin citronella

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of citronellal was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near citronellal

citronella

citronellal

citronelle

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Citronellal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citronellal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

citronellal

noun
cit·​ro·​nel·​lal -ˈnel-ˌal How to pronounce citronellal (audio)
: an aldehyde C10H18O with a lemony odor that is obtained especially from citronella oil and that is used in perfumery and as an insect repellent

More from Merriam-Webster on citronellal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about citronellal

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

A Great Big List of Bread Words

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels

12 More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

9 Superb Owl Words
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...