Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
linalool

linalool

9.9
A clear fragrant liquid in many essential oils used in perfumes and flavorings
  • noun
  • /ˌlɪnəˈluːl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : linalool

Examples

  • Another cotton chemical, linalool, may disrupt weevils from mating or deter them from aggregating within a cotton field.

    Academic text (1994)

Surface Forms

linalool singular
linalools plural

Morphology

linalool = linal + ol

Formed from a specialized combining form plus the chemical suffix '-ol' (denoting an alcohol); this technical morphology is not informative to an average learner, so the meaning cannot be derived from the parts.

Etymology

Linalool comes from the plant name linaloe, a word once used for fragrant plants like lavender, plus the chemical ending -ol, which means 'alcohol'. So linalool literally names a fragrant 'alcohol' found in many essential oils, explaining its use in perfumes and flavourings.