PETROLATUMS

Noun

petrolatums

plural of petrolatum

Source: Wiktionary


PETROLATUM

Pet`ro*la"tum, n. (Chem. & Pharm.)

Definition: A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without taste or odor, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter portions and purifying the residue. It is a yellowish, fatlike mass, transparent in thin layers, and somewhat fluorescent. It is used as a bland protective dressing, and as a substitute for fatty materials in ointments. U. S. Pharm.

Note: Petrolatum is the official name for the purified product. Cosmoline and vaseline are commercial names for substances essentially the same, but differing slightly in appearance and consistency or fusibility.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

18 March 2025

ODONTOGLOSSUM

(noun) any of numerous and diverse orchids of the genus Odontoglossum having racemes of few to many showy usually large flowers in many colors


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