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Glite Dictionary
mustard oil

mustard oil

1 3.2
A yellowish liquid from mustard seeds that people use for cooking and massage
  • noun
  • /ˈmʌstərd ɔɪl/
translation icon : aceite de mostaza
  • The problem is mustard oil increases body temperature, as you can imagine, and if used on a premie whose skin hasn't fully developed yet, it can burn badly.

Every baby in the community is massaged with with mustard oil and massaged very vigorously.

Examples

  • She uses mustard oil to massage her baby's skin and promote healthy growth.

  • Every baby in the community is massaged with with mustard oil and massaged very vigorously.

    Stanford

  • I have some mustard oil that I bought after reading once that massaging it into the scalp is good for healthy hair, but then I read online that it can cause skin burns, and so I've been afraid to try it.

    Blog text (6)

  • Past him now, we see Hasari facing Subash's father and three uncles, surly men with hair matted with mustard oil.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Turkey and ham on... Italian herb and cheese bread, toasted... tomato lettuce pickle olive mustard oil and vinegar...

    Paranoid Park (2007)

  • The chef drizzled mustard oil over the salad for an extra kick of flavor.

  • In traditional medicine, mustard oil is often applied to soothe sore muscles after a long day.

Synonyms

oil
vsmustard oil
406 1.0

A liquid fat from plants used for cooking and salad dressings

is the particular yellowish seed fat also used for massage and soap
vegetable oil
vsmustard oil
17 1.0

An oil made from plants that you use for cooking

is a specific seed-derived yellowish fat also used for massage and soap making
cooking oil
vsmustard oil
7 1.0

Oil from plants or seeds used to cook food

is also used outside cooking for body massage and soap production
salad oil
vsmustard oil
1 1.4

A light vegetable oil used for salad dressing and cooking

is fuller flavored and also used for massage or soap making
sweet oil
vsmustard oil
1 3.5

A mild vegetable oil like olive oil that you use for cooking and skin care

is stronger and used beyond food, including massage and soap

Surface Forms

mustard oil singular
mustard oils plural

Morphology

mustard + oil

The meaning 'a yellowish oil obtained from the seeds of the mustard plant' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'mustard' (the plant/seed) with 'oil' (a plant-derived fat). This is a straightforward noun-noun compound following a common cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Mustard oil comes from the simple image of pressing the small seeds of the mustard plant to get an oil with a strong smell. People used this sharp oil for 'cooking' and for 'massage', so the name now means oil made from mustard seeds.