Volatile oil
Volatile Oil
Volatile oil (pronunciation: /vɒlətaɪl ɔɪl/), also known as essential oil, is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants.
Etymology
The term "volatile" comes from the Latin word volatilis meaning "to fly". This refers to the oil's ability to quickly evaporate at normal temperatures. The term "oil" is derived from the Old English oel, from Latin oleum meaning "oil, olive oil", which in turn is from Greek elaion meaning "olive oil".
Definition
Volatile oils are a type of lipid that are characterized by their high volatility and strong aroma. They are typically extracted from plants through a process called distillation. These oils are used in a variety of applications, including aromatherapy, perfumery, and as flavorings in food and drink.
Related Terms
- Distillation: The process of heating a liquid until it vaporizes, then cooling the vapor until it condenses back into a liquid. This is the primary method of extracting volatile oils from plants.
- Aromatherapy: The use of aromatic plant extracts and essential oils for healing and cosmetic purposes.
- Perfumery: The art of making perfumes, which often involves the use of volatile oils.
- Lipid: A type of organic compound that is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. Volatile oils are a type of lipid.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Volatile oil
- Wikipedia's article - Volatile oil
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski