English to English
noun
- a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum; used in medicinal ointments and for lubrication
source: WordNet 3.0
- A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without taste or odor, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter portions and purifying the residue. It is a yellowish, fatlike mass, transparent in thin layers, and somewhat fluorescent. It is used as a bland protective dressing, and as a substitute for fatty materials in ointments.
source: Webster 1913
