oil of cloves

1 4.6

A strong-smelling oil made from cloves that eases tooth pain and adds flavor

noun
/ɔɪl əv kloʊvz/

Specialized

: aceite de clavo

When making herbal medicine, I often use oil of cloves to enhance the flavor and effectiveness of the mixture.

Examples

For its aromatic qualities, chefs sometimes add oil of cloves to spiced drinks and desserts.
I have the honor only on my ancestor's birthday to polish his armor with oil of cloves.

Hannibal Rising (2007)
Whiskey, a little pepper, oil of cloves, ginger root...

Little Big Man (1970)
Yes, oil of cloves.

Hannibal Rising (2007)
Many natural remedies include oil of cloves for its soothing properties in treating toothaches.

Synonyms

clove oil

vsoil of cloves

4 3.9

An oil made from cloves used for flavor, smell, and easing toothache

uses a longer descriptive phrase rather than the concise two-word form

Surface Forms

oil of cloves singular

oils of cloves plural

Morphology

oil + of + clove

The meaning is directly compositional: 'oil' combined with 'of cloves' signals an oil derived from cloves, so a learner who knows 'oil' and 'clove' can infer it refers to an extract/essential oil made from cloves. The 'X of Y' source/composition pattern is common in English and other languages, supporting immediate comprehension at a B1 level.

Etymology

Oil of cloves comes from the simple idea of getting oil from cloves, the small dried flower buds with a very strong smell. People pressed or soaked cloves to make this strong oil and used it to 'numb' tooth pain and to 'flavor' medicines, so today oil of cloves means the clove oil used for flavoring and for soothing.