noun
menthol
MEHN-thol
noun
1
A cooling, minty-smelling compound found in peppermint oil, used in medicines, chest rubs, and flavoured cigarettes.
"The cough drops contained menthol to soothe her throat."
"Menthol cigarettes were banned for sale in several countries."
How to Use Menthol
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe cooling minty compound from peppermint, used in medicine and some cigarettes.
Common pairings
menthol cigarettes
menthol rub
menthol cough drops
Word Forms
menthols plural
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The cough drops contained _____ to soothe her throat.
Etymology
From Latin mentha ("mint") plus the chemical suffix -ol.