menthol

menthol
/men"thawl, -thol/, n.
1. Also called hexahydrothymol, peppermint camphor. Chem., Pharm. a colorless, crystalline, slightly water-soluble alcohol, C10H20O, obtained from peppermint oil or synthesized: used chiefly in perfumes, confections, cigarettes, and liqueurs and in medicine for colds and nasal disorders for its cooling effect on mucous membranes.
2. a mentholated cigarette.
adj.
3. containing menthol; mentholated.
[1875-80; < NL Menth(a) (see MINT1) + -OL1]

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Crystalline organic compound of the isoprenoid family.

It has a strong, minty, cooling odour and taste. It is obtained from the oil of the Japanese mint or made synthetically and is used in cigarettes, cosmetics, chest rubs, cough drops, toothpastes, and flavourings. Of its two optical isomers (see optical activity; isomerism), only l-menthol has the desirable cooling effect.

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also called  peppermint camphor 
  terpene alcohol with a strong minty, cooling odour and taste. It is obtained from peppermint oil or is produced synthetically by hydrogenation of thymol. Menthol is used medicinally in ointments, cough drops, and nasal inhalers. It is also used as flavouring in foods, cigarettes, liqueurs, cosmetics, and perfumes.

      The menthol molecule can exist as one of two enantiomers (mirror-image isomers (isomerism)). The naturally occurring material is the levorotatory form (the compound that rotates the plane of polarized light to the left), called (-)-menthol (or l-menthol). Synthetic menthol is racemic, consisting of equal amounts (-)-menthol and (+)-menthol (or d-menthol), the latter being the isomer that rotates the plane of polarized light to the right.

Leroy G. Wade, Jr.
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • menthol — ► NOUN ▪ a mint tasting substance found chiefly in peppermint oil, used as a flavouring and in decongestants. DERIVATIVES mentholated adjective. ORIGIN Latin mentha mint …   English terms dictionary

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