Meaning & use
eucalyptol
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablechemistry
a clear, minty-smelling liquid compound taken from eucalyptus leaves and some other plants, used in medicines, flavorings and cleaning products.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun: the oil contains eucalyptol.
Patterns
- eucalyptol in something
- extract eucalyptol from something
Eucalyptol gives eucalyptus oil its sharp, cooling smell.
The cough drops contain a small amount of eucalyptol.
Researchers extracted eucalyptol from the leaves using steam.
Common combinations
- contain eucalyptol
- Some mouthwashes contain eucalyptol to fight plaque.
- eucalyptol oil
- Eucalyptol oil is used in steam inhalers.
- extract eucalyptol
- Workers extract eucalyptol from distilled leaf oil.
- eucalyptol content
- The eucalyptol content varies between species.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cineole
- Cineole is another chemical name for the same compound, used more often in scientific papers than on product labels.
- eucalyptus oil
- Eucalyptus oil is the whole mixture from the leaves, while eucalyptol is only its main compound.
Word family
- eucalyptus noun
- the tree from which the oil is taken
- eucalypt noun
- a shorter name for a eucalyptus tree
- eucalyptic adjective
- relating to eucalyptus, rare
Commonly confused: eucalyptol or eucalyptus?
eucalyptol vs eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is the tree, but eucalyptol is the chemical found in its oil.
Practice
What is eucalyptol?
Choose one answer.
Eucalyptol is the main aromatic chemical in eucalyptus oil. The tree itself is eucalyptus, and the other options are invented.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eucalyptol”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.