noun
- Also called hexahydrothymol, peppermint camphor. Chemistry, Pharmacology. a colorless, crystalline, slightly water-soluble alcohol, C10H20O, obtained from peppermint oil or synthesized: used chiefly in perfumes, confections, cigarettes, and liqueurs and in medicine for colds and nasal disorders for its cooling effect on mucous membranes.
- a mentholated cigarette.
adjective
- containing menthol; mentholated.
noun
- an optically active organic compound found in peppermint oil and used as an antiseptic, in inhalants, and as an analgesic. Formula: C 10 H 20 O
n.white crystalline substance, 1862, from German Menthol, coined 1861 by Alphons Oppenheim from Latin mentha “mint” (see mint (n.1)) + oleum “oil” (see oil (n.)). So called because it was first obtained from oil of peppermint. n.
- A white crystalline organic compound obtained from peppermint oil or synthesized and used as a mild topical anesthetic.
- A white, crystalline compound obtained from peppermint oil. It is used as a flavoring and as a mild anesthetic. Chemical formula: C10H20O.