Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Petrolatum"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Petrolatum \Pet`ro*la"tum\, n. (Chem. & Pharm.)
A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without taste or
odor, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter
portions and purifying the residue. It is a yellowish,
fatlike mass, transparent in thin layers, and somewhat
fluorescent. It is used as a bland protective dressing, and
as a substitute for fatty materials in ointments. --U. S.
Pharm.
Note: Petrolatum is the official name for the purified
product. Cosmoline and vaseline are commercial names
for substances essentially the same, but differing
slightly in appearance and consistency or fusibility.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
petrolatum
n : a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from
petroleum; used in medicinal ointments and for
lubrication [syn: {petroleum jelly}, {mineral jelly}]
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