Organic Chemical
volatile oil
vol·a·tile oil
Subclass of:
Oils
Definitions related to oils, volatile:
  • (essential oil) The scented liquid taken from certain plants using steam or pressure. Essential oils contain the natural chemicals that give the plant its "essence" (specific odor and flavor). Essential oils are used in perfumes, food flavorings, medicine, and aromatherapy.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (volatile oils) Unstable components of a preparation that evaporate easily.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Oils which evaporate readily. The volatile oils occur in aromatic plants, to which they give odor and other characteristics. Most volatile oils consist of a mixture of two or more TERPENES or of a mixture of an eleoptene (the more volatile constituent of a volatile oil) with a stearopten (the more solid constituent). The synonym essential oils refers to the essence of a plant, as its perfume or scent, and not to its indispensability.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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