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Glite Dictionary
zinc ointment

zinc ointment

3.0
An ointment that contains zinc and soothes rashes and minor skin irritation
  • noun
  • /zɪŋk ˈɔɪntmənt/
translation icon : pomada de zinc
  • Parents often use zinc ointment to soothe their baby's diaper rash.

Examples

  • The doctor recommended applying zinc ointment to the affected area twice a day.

  • She applied zinc ointment to her rash.

  • After getting a mild burn, she reached for the zinc ointment in the medicine cabinet.

  • The doctor recommended using zinc ointment for the burn.

  • The doctor recommended using zinc ointment to soothe her skin rash.

  • After applying the zinc ointment, the irritation on his arm began to fade.

  • She kept a tube of zinc ointment in her medicine cabinet for treating minor burns.

How Much Zinc

zinc-rich
3.6
zinc ointment
3.0

Surface Forms

zinc ointment singular
zinc ointments plural

Morphology

zinc + ointment

The noun phrase is transparently compositional: 'zinc' names the active ingredient and 'ointment' names the topical formulation, so the meaning 'an ointment containing zinc' follows directly from the constituents. This ingredient+product pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Zinc ointment comes from the simple idea of mixing zinc, a white powder, into an ointment to make a thick white paste that sits on the skin like a small shield. Because that paste protects and soothes damaged skin, the name now means 'an ointment containing zinc used to treat rashes and minor skin problems'.