ointment

B2 Topic:The Human Body

US /ˈɔɪn(t)m(ə)nt/ UK /ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/ See IPA manual

Freq #15236

Meanings

1

noun
A thick, smooth cream rubbed on the skin to treat or soothe it.

The doctor gave her an ointment for the rash.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a thick, smooth cream... salveemollient

More pomadepomatepomatumunguent

Word family

Forms ointments

Derived forms ointmentlike

Related forms creaminunctionliniment unction unctuous unguent

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mercurial ointment
a salve made with mercury for application to the skin

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Ointment entered English in the Middle English period through French. It ultimately derives from Latin unguere, meaning “anoint,” the source also of anoint, unction, and unguent.

Etymology

A later form (as if oint + -ment) of Middle English oinement, borrowed from Old French oignement (“an anointing”), from oigner, oindre, ongier (“to anoint”), from Latin ung(u)ō (“I anoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to smear, anoint”). Partly displaced native Old English sealf, whence modern salve.

*h₃engʷ- Proto-Indo-European oinement Middle English oignement Old French ungō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

The Human Body

External links

# ointment

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɔɪn(t)m(ə)nt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/
**Frequency rank:** 15236

## Meanings
1. A thick, smooth cream rubbed on the skin to treat or soothe it.

## Examples
- The doctor gave her an ointment for the rash.

## Synonyms
- pomade
- pomate
- pomatum
- salve
- unguent

## Derived Forms
- ointmentlike

## Related Forms
- cream
- inunction
- liniment
- unction
- unctuous
- unguent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃engʷ-
- Root: oinement
- Root: oignement
- Root: ungō

## Etymology
A later form (as if oint + -ment) of Middle English oinement, borrowed from Old French oignement (“an anointing”), from oigner, oindre, ongier (“to anoint”), from Latin ung(u)ō (“I anoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to smear, anoint”). Partly displaced native Old English sealf, whence modern salve.

## AI Etymology
Ointment a later form (as if oint + -ment) of Middle English oinement, borrowed from Old French oignement (“an anointing”), from oigner, oindre, ongier (“to anoint”), from Latin ung(u)ō (“I anoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to smear, anoint”). Partly displaced native Old English sealf, whence modern salve. Modern senses include a thick, smooth cream rubbed on the skin to treat or soothe it. The wider word family includes derivatives such as ointmentlike and related forms such as cream, inunction, liniment, and unction.

## Topics
- The Human Body

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