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Glite Dictionary
mentholated salve

mentholated salve

5.2
An ointment with menthol that you rub on the skin to relieve pain or help you breathe
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛnθəˌleɪtɪd sælv/
translation icon : ungüento mentolado
  • Doctors sometimes recommend a mentholated salve for minor muscle aches and pains.

Examples

  • I applied some mentholated salve to my sore muscles.

  • The mentholated salve gave her a cooling sensation on the irritated skin.

  • He applied the mentholated salve to his chest to help relieve his cough.

  • The doctor recommended a mentholated salve for my rash.

  • After applying the mentholated salve, I felt instant relief from the itching on my skin.

  • The doctor recommended a mentholated salve to soothe my sunburn and reduce discomfort.

  • During cold season, I often use a mentholated salve to help clear my sinuses and ease my breathing.

Synonyms

salve
vsmentholated salve
10 6.4

A soft oily substance you put on skin to help it heal

contains menthol and also relieves respiratory irritation

How Soothing

mentholated salve
5.2
salve
10 6.4
balm
9 4.9
ointment
49 3.3

Surface Forms

mentholated salve singular
mentholated salves plural

Morphology

mentholated + salve

The meaning 'a medicinal ointment containing menthol' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'mentholated' (infused with menthol) with 'salve' (a topical ointment). This adjective + noun composition follows a common and cross-linguistically familiar pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Mentholated salve comes from menthol, the minty ingredient that makes skin feel cool, and salve, a soft ointment you rub on the skin. People rub this minty ointment on sore muscles or chests to 'soothe' or 'relieve' irritation, so the name means an ointment that gives a cooling, soothing effect.