petrolatum gauze
- noun
- /ˌpɛtrəˈleɪtəm ɡɔz/
- Specialized
:
gasa de petrolato
- The nurse applied petrolatum gauze to the burn before wrapping it with a bandage.
Examples
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Using petrolatum gauze helps maintain a moist environment for wound healing.
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Doctors recommend petrolatum gauze dressings for skin graft sites to reduce adherence.
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The doctor applied a petrolatum gauze to the wound.
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For best results, use a petrolatum dressing for healing.
-
The nurse applied petrolatum gauze to the burn before wrapping it with a bandage.
-
Using petrolatum gauze helps maintain a moist environment for wound healing.
-
Doctors recommend petrolatum gauze dressings for skin graft sites to reduce adherence.
Synonyms
126
1.0
A piece of soft material that covers and protects a wound
43
3.6
A thin, light cloth with a loose weave used to cover wounds
3
2.8
A piece of clean cloth placed over a wound to protect it
1
2.6
A thin cotton cloth used to cover and protect a wound
A clean pad of cotton or gauze that covers a wound after surgery to protect it
A clean piece of cloth or pad placed over a wound to protect it
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward material + product construction: 'petrolatum' (a semisolid petroleum derivative) + 'gauze' (medical fabric) yields a gauze impregnated with petrolatum, which directly implies its wound-protecting, moist-healing function. Although the term is somewhat technical, this compositional pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Petrolatum gauze comes from the simple idea of thin gauze cloth soaked with petrolatum, a greasy jelly that stops the dressing from sticking to the skin. Because the cloth is greasy, it 'protects' the wound and 'keeps the area moist', so the term means a dressing used to protect wounds and help them heal.