eugenol

1 7.2

A natural strong-smelling chemical in clove oil used to flavor food, scent products, and ease pain

noun
/ˈjuːdʒɪnɒl/

Specialized

: eugenol

The aromatic compound eugenol, extracted from clove oil, is commonly used in perfumery and flavoring.

Examples

Eugenol is an important ingredient in many natural eugenol remedies due to its analgesic properties.
Articles on the effects of zinc oxide-eugenol paste in the sinus are more interesting from a rhinologist's point of view because some authors suggest that it is a cause of fungal growth.

Academic text (2004)
The literature contains several reports on the CT diagnosis of fungal sinusitis (n5-n7) and the effects of zinc oxide-eugenol paste.

Academic text (2004)
Many dentists recommend products containing eugenol to help alleviate pain caused by dental issues.

Surface Forms

eugenol singular

eugenols plural

Morphology

eugenol = eugen + ol

The element 'eugen' is a non-standalone combining form and '-ol' is a technical chemical suffix, so an average B1 learner cannot derive the meaning from the parts.

Etymology

Eugenol is named after the clove plant Eugenia, and Eugenia comes from Greek parts eu- 'good' and -genēs 'born', meaning 'well-born'. So eugenol is the distinctive oil from Eugenia, which is why it gives cloves their strong, aromatic smell.