'Petrolatum' definitions:
Definition of 'petrolatum'
(from WordNet)
noun
A semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum; used in medicinal ointments and for lubrication [syn: petrolatum, petroleum jelly, mineral jelly]
Definition of 'Petrolatum'
From: GCIDE
- Petrolatum \Pet`ro*la"tum\, n. (Chem. & Pharm.) 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. --U. S. Pharm. [1913 Webster]
- Note: Petrolatum is the official name for the purified product. Cosmoline and vaseline are commercial names for substances essentially the same, but differing slightly in appearance and consistency or fusibility. [1913 Webster]