Ointment

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/

Definitions

1. A thick, oily substance applied to the skin to heal, soothe, or protect it from injury or irritation
2. A creamy or greasy substance intended for external skin application that aids in healing, soothing, or providing protection against irritation or injury
3. A viscous preparation used on the skin to alleviate discomfort, promote healing, or offer a protective barrier from irritants or injuries

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "ointment" is that it was once spelled "oinement" and was not built from "oint" at all. English borrowed the original from Old French "oignement," meaning "an anointing," and that French word came from "oigner" or "oindre," "to anoint." Those verbs trace back to Latin "unguere," "to anoint," which is also the source of "unguent," a close relative still used for a smooth salve. Over time English reshaped the word. Speakers came to hear it as "oint" plus the suffix "-ment," as in "figment" or "payment," and spelled it accordingly. The new form was a folk reshaping, since the word never contained a separate "oint" element in its history. The word also replaced an older native English term. Old English "sealf" survives today as "salve," so English already had a word for this kind of substance before the French loan arrived. The borrowed word eventually displaced the older English term for "ointment," which had been "smireness."

Synonyms: salve, balm, cream