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camphor ice

camphor ice

8.5
A cream made from camphor and oils that soothes sore or dry skin
  • noun
  • /ˈkæmfər aɪs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : hielo de alcanfor
  • He applied camphor ice to the sore on his lip to ease the pain.

Examples

  • Camphor ice is sometimes used to soothe chapped lips in cold weather.

  • She always keeps camphor ice in her medicine cabinet.

  • Old-fashioned remedies like camphor ice were common in my grandmother's medicine cabinet.

  • I applied camphor ice to my sunburn.

  • Camphor ice is widely recommended for soothing skin irritations after sun exposure.

  • After a long day outdoors, she used camphor ice to relieve the discomfort from her sunburn.

  • He found that applying camphor ice helped alleviate the itching from his dry skin.

Synonyms

camphor spirit
vscamphor ice
  • Archaic
7.4

A liquid made of alcohol and camphor used to rub on the skin or breathe in for cough relief

is wax and oil based and used to soothe skin rather than inhale
camphor oil
vscamphor ice
  • Specialized
5.2

A strong-smelling oil used on the skin or in steam to ease breathing and add scent

is a wax and oil topical made to soothe skin rather than for scent

Surface Forms

camphor ice singular
camphor ices plural

Morphology

camphor + ice

A learner who knows 'camphor' (a medicinal substance) and 'ice' (literal frozen water) can plausibly infer a camphor-containing product with a cooling effect, so the overall idea of a topical cooling ointment is derivable. However, 'ice' here is used metaphorically as a product-type/marketing term rather than literal frozen water, and the precise formulation and topical use are not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Camphor ice gets its name from the two words camphor and ice. Camphor is a strong-smelling medicine and ice means the cool, solid feel of the old ointment, so the name gives a clear image of a preparation that helps to 'soothe the skin'.