liniment
noun
lin·i·ment
ˈli-nə-mənt 
: a liquid or semiliquid preparation that is applied to the skin as an anodyne or a counterirritant
For four or five days afterward, she felt poorly. Friends came to see about her. Some made camomile tea; others rubbed her with liniment—
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison… after your walk, soak your feet in warm, not hot, water, followed with some kind of cooling liniment.—Prevention
PreventionExamples of liniment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From tea towels, hats, and keychains to mugs, snacks, and horse liniment, there’s a little something for everyone.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 30 Apr. 2024
In his encyclopedic Naturalis Historia, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder suggests that urine might be used as a cure for gout or scorpion stings, or, when kneaded with ashes, a liniment for the bite of a mad dog.
—Justin Beal, Harper's Magazine, 14 Dec. 2022
Other terpenes such as pinene, linalool, limonene and the sesquiterpene, beta-caryophyllene are pain relievers, especially when applied directly to the skin as a liniment.
—James David Adams, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2019
The only constant was the way people put on their stickers: all of them with such tenderness as if rubbing liniment into the injustice.
—Steve Hartman, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2020
Elixir bottles can be exchanged for wellness liniments of equal or lesser value.
—Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 19 May 2020
With the patent medicine business in its prime, elixirs and liniments promised relief from every complaint under the sun.
—Lloyd Minor, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2019
Pheeranut and Tapanat, who had driven separately from Bangkok, waited in a trainer’s room that smelled of liniment.
—Shashank Bengalistaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2019
In other words, Varejao endorsed the use of arnica do mato as a liniment.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 4 May 2016
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Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 30 Apr. 2024
In his encyclopedic Naturalis Historia, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder suggests that urine might be used as a cure for gout or scorpion stings, or, when kneaded with ashes, a liniment for the bite of a mad dog.
—Justin Beal, Harper's Magazine, 14 Dec. 2022
Other terpenes such as pinene, linalool, limonene and the sesquiterpene, beta-caryophyllene are pain relievers, especially when applied directly to the skin as a liniment.
—James David Adams, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2019
The only constant was the way people put on their stickers: all of them with such tenderness as if rubbing liniment into the injustice.
—Steve Hartman, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2020
Elixir bottles can be exchanged for wellness liniments of equal or lesser value.
—Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 19 May 2020
With the patent medicine business in its prime, elixirs and liniments promised relief from every complaint under the sun.
—Lloyd Minor, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2019
Pheeranut and Tapanat, who had driven separately from Bangkok, waited in a trainer’s room that smelled of liniment.
—Shashank Bengalistaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2019
In other words, Varejao endorsed the use of arnica do mato as a liniment.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 4 May 2016
Cite this Entry
“Liniment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liniment. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liniment
noun
lin·i·ment
ˈlin-ə-mənt
: a liquid medicine rubbed on the skin especially to relieve pain
Medical Definition
liniment
noun
lin·i·ment
ˈlin-ə-mənt
: a liquid or semiliquid preparation that is applied to the skin as an anodyne or a counterirritant
called also embrocation
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