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Meaning & use

ylang ylang

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˌiːlæŋ ˈiːlæŋ/
US/ˌiːlɑːŋ ˈiːlɑːŋ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable or uncountablebiology

    A tropical Asian tree with drooping, sweet-smelling yellow flowers.

    Grammar: Countable for the tree, uncountable for the scent: a ylang ylang tree.

    Patterns

    • a ylang ylang tree
    • ylang ylang flowers

    A ylang ylang tree grows beside the garden wall in the botanical park.

    The yellow petals of ylang ylang open at night and fill the air with perfume.

    Ylang ylang thrives in warm, humid places like the Philippines.

  2. noununcountable

    A strong, sweet oil taken from the flowers and used in perfumes, soaps and aromatherapy.

    Grammar: Uncountable: a few drops of ylang ylang.

    Patterns

    • ylang ylang oil
    • a drop of ylang ylang

    She added a few drops of ylang ylang to the bath for its floral scent.

    The perfume has notes of jasmine, vanilla and ylang ylang.

    Ylang ylang oil is also popular in hair products.

Word forms

pluralylang ylangs

Common combinations

ylang ylang oil
The soap contains ylang ylang oil.
ylang ylang scent
The ylang ylang scent is heavy and sweet.
ylang ylang flowers
Ylang ylang flowers are picked early in the morning.
essence of ylang ylang
The shop sells essence of ylang ylang in tiny bottles.
ylang ylang tree
The ylang ylang tree grows very tall if not pruned.

Synonyms and how they differ

cananga
Cananga is the botanical name of the tree and is used mostly by specialists, while ylang ylang is everyday for the flower and oil.
perfume tree
Perfume tree is a looser descriptive name and can refer to other fragrant trees.
essential oil
Essential oil is the general category, while ylang ylang names one particular oil.

Word family

ylang noun
the shortened name sometimes used for the flower
cananga noun
the genus name of the tree
jasmine noun
another sweet-smelling flower used in perfume
aromatherapy noun
the use of scented oils to improve mood or health

Commonly confused: ylang ylang or jasmine?

ylang ylang vs jasmine

Jasmine is a different white flower with its own scent, though both are used in perfume.

Practice

The perfumer blended jasmine, vanilla and ____ to create a sweet floral scent.

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