Meanings
nounointment (countable and uncountable, plural ointments)
plural ointments · alternative obsolete oyntment
- countableuncountablemedicineA viscous preparation of oils and/or fats, usually containing medication, used as a treatment or as an emollient.
She applied a soothing herbal ointment to her dry skin.
1 more example
The doctor prescribed an antibiotic ointment for the wound.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsemisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation
nountoiletry consisting of any of various substances in the form of a thick liquid that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin
Broader
toiletrytoilet articles
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃engʷ-“to smear, anoint”
- Latinung(u)ō“I anoint”
- Old Frenchoignement“an anointing”
- Middle Englishoinement
- Englishointment
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. Displaced native Old English smireness (“ointment, oil”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans salf
- salfviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Ancient Greek ἀλοιφή, ἄλειφαρ
- ἀλοιφή (aloiphḗ)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- ἄλειφαρ (áleiphar)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Arabic مَرْهَم, دَهُون
- مَرْهَم (marham)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- دَهُون (dahūn)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Bengali মলম
- মলম (molom)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Bulgarian мехле́м, мас
- мехле́м (mehlém)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- мас (mas)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- мази́ло (mazílo)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Catalan pomada, ungüent
- pomadaviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- ungüentviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Chinese Cantonese 藥膏 /药膏
- 藥膏 /药膏 (joek⁶ gou¹)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Chinese Mandarin 軟膏 /软膏, 膏
- 軟膏 /软膏 (ruǎngāo)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- 膏 (gāo)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- 藥膏 /药膏 (yàogāo)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Czech mast
- mastviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Danish salve
- salveviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Dutch zalf, smeersel
- zalfviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- smeerselviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Esperanto ungvento
- ungventoviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Estonian salv
- salvviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Finnish voide
- voideviscous preparation, usually containing medication
French pommade, onguent
- pommadeviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- onguentviscous preparation, usually containing medication
German Salbe, Balsam
- Salbeviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- Balsamviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Greek αλοιφή
- αλοιφή (aloifí)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Hebrew מִשְׁחָה
- מִשְׁחָה (mishkhá)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Hindi मरहम, मलहम
- मरहम (marham)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- मलहम (malham)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- बाम (bām)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- लेप (lep)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- औषधि (auṣdhi)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Hungarian kenőcs
- kenőcsviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Icelandic smyrsl
- smyrslviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Indonesian salep
- salepviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Irish ungadh
- ungadhviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Italian pomata, unguento
- pomataviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- unguentoviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- balsamoviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Japanese 軟膏
- 軟膏 (nankō)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Korean 연고
- 연고 (yeon'go)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Latin unguentum
- unguentumviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Latvian ziede
- ziedeviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Lithuanian tepalas
- tepalasviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Malay salap
- salapviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Māori rongoā pani, pūreke
- rongoā paniviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- pūrekeviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- (rongoā) panikiriviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Norwegian Bokmål salve
- salveviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Polish maść
- maśćviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Portuguese pomada
- pomadaviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Romanian unguent, pomadă
- unguentviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- pomadăviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- alifieviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Russian мазь, бальза́м
- мазь (mazʹ)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- бальза́м (balʹzám)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Slovak masť
- masťviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Spanish pomada, ungüento
- pomadaviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- ungüentoviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- mentisánviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- mentolatoviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- mentolinaviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Swahili marhamu
- marhamuviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Swedish salva
- salvaviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Tagalog hinas, banlos
- hinasviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- banlosviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Thai ครีม, ยาขี้ผึ้ง
- ครีม (kriim)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- ยาขี้ผึ้ง (yaa-kîi-pʉ̂ng)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- ขี้ผึ้ง (kîi-pʉ̂ng)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Turkish merhem
- merhemviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Ukrainian мазь, бальза́м
- мазь (mazʹ)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- бальза́м (balʹzám)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Urdu مَرْہَم, مَلْہَم
- مَرْہَم (marham)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- مَلْہَم (malham)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
- لیپ (lep)viscous preparation, usually containing medication
Vietnamese pom-mát, thuốc mỡ
- pom-mátviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- thuốc mỡviscous preparation, usually containing medication
- thuốc caoviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Welsh eli
- eliviscous preparation, usually containing medication
Cite this entry
APA
ointment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ointment
MLA
“ointment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ointment. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ointment,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ointment.
Source: ointment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.