Meaning & use
unguent
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A soft, oily or greasy preparation that is rubbed onto skin to soothe, heal or protect it.
Grammar: Uncountable for the substance (apply unguent), countable for a kind (a herbal unguent).
Patterns
- apply unguent to something
- an unguent for something
- rub unguent into something
The monk spread a fragrant unguent over the burn and wrapped it in clean linen.
She kept a small jar of unguent in her bag for chapped hands.
Ancient texts describe unguents made from beeswax, olive oil and crushed herbs.
Word forms
| plural | unguents |
|---|
Common combinations
- apply an unguent
- Apply the unguent twice a day until the rash fades.
- a soothing unguent
- He bought a soothing unguent for his sunburnt shoulders.
- a fragrant unguent
- The priestess anointed the statue with a fragrant unguent.
- herbal unguent
- Her grandmother's herbal unguent smelled of lavender and mint.
- rub in unguent
- Rub in the unguent gently so that it soaks into the skin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ointment
- Ointment is the ordinary modern word, especially for medicine, while unguent sounds bookish or historical.
- salve
- Salve stresses the soothing or healing purpose and is also used figuratively, which unguent rarely is.
- balm
- Balm suggests a pleasant-smelling, comforting preparation and is often used for lips or muscles rather than wounds.
- cream
- Cream is lighter and less greasy than an unguent and is the everyday choice for skincare products.
Word family
- unguentary adjective
- relating to or containing unguents
- unguentum noun
- the Latin-derived term for an ointment in old pharmacy texts
Commonly confused: unguent or argument?
unguent vs argument
Both begin with a similar sound in some accents, but an argument is a disagreement or a line of reasoning; unguent is only a skin preparation.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence? The healer rubbed a warm herbal ___ into the sore muscles.
Choose one answer.
An unguent is a greasy substance rubbed into the skin. A ligament is a body tissue and cannot be rubbed in as a substance.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unguent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.