turpentine

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Definitions (26)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (5)

  1. noun A thin volatile essential oil, C10H16, obtained by steam distillation or other means from the wood or exudate of certain pine trees and used as a paint thinner, solvent, and medicinally as a liniment. Also called oil of turpentine, spirit of turpentine.
  2. noun The sticky mixture of resin and volatile oil from which turpentine is distilled.
  3. noun A brownish-yellow resinous liquid obtained from the terebinth.
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Examples

  • He dissolved a pound of the gum in three quarts of spirits of turpentine, and added to the mixture enough lamp-black to produce a bright black color, and was so well satisfied with his compound, that he felt sure that the only thing necessary to his entire success was a machine for spreading it properly on the cloth. —  Great Fortunes and How They Were Made
  • It smelled strongly of sawdust, turpentine, and wood stain, and a patina of the dust that comes from heavy sanding lay like a gauze veil on everything. —  A Traitor to Memory
  • Another six men carried jars of turpentine, and now the straw was heaped about the four legs of the telegraph station and then soaked with the turpentine. —  Sharpe's Escape
  • "We're looking for the turpentine," said Fatty, poking his round face out of the shed. —  The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat
  • "You know that smell we smelt " turpentine," said Bets. —  The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat
 

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Words tagged turpentine

terebinthine

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Turpentine has been looked up 312 times, favorited 0 times, listed 24 times, and commented on twice.

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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, resin of the terebinth, from Old French terebentine, from Latin terebinthina (rēsīna), terebinth (resin), from Greek terebinthinē, feminine of terebenthinos, from terebinthos, terebinth tree.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also terpentine; from Middle English turbentyne = Middle Dutch terpentijn, termentijn, Dutch terpentijn = G. Swedish Danish terpentin, from Old French turbentine, terebentine, turpentine, terebenthine, Middle Latin terebintina, New Latin terebinthina, turpentine, from Latin terebinthina (sc. resina), feminine of terebinthinus, of the terebinth, from terebinthus, from Greek τερέβινθος, terebinth: see terebinth, and cf. terebinthine.
  2. from turpentine, n.
 

Pronunciations
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/ˈtərpɛntaɪn/
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