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liniment

 
(lĭn'ə-mənt) pronunciation
n.
A medicinal fluid rubbed into the skin to soothe pain or relieve stiffness.

[Middle English, from Late Latin linīmentum, from Latin linere, linīre, to rub over, anoint.]


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A liquid applied to the skin to warm and protect muscles or to relieve muscle pain and stiffness. Applied externally, liniments certainly provide a warm sensation (very warm if a man carelessly rubs the liniment into the more sensitive regions of his body!). Apart from the psychological benefit of feeling warm, liniments do not seem to have much effect on muscles (except, possibly, to divert blood from the deep muscles to the superficial muscles) and they are no substitute for a proper warm-up routine.


A medicinal preparation that is rubbed onto the skin or applied on a surgical dressing. Liniments often contain camphor.

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Preparation applied externally to the body in the belief that it warms and protects. A liniment, by providing a warm sensation, may have psychological benefits, but it does not affect the deep muscles (except, possibly, by diverting blood from deep to superficial muscles) and is no substitute for a proper warm-up routine.

Columbia Encyclopedia:

liniment

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liniment, liquid preparation rubbed on skin, used to relieve muscular aches and pains. It contains some substance that when rubbed over the affected part causes mild irritation and often brings more blood to the painful part. Most liniments contain camphor, oil of turpentine, oil of wintergreen, or ethyl alcohol. See salicylate.


A medicinal preparation in an oily, soapy or alcoholic vehicle, intended to be rubbed on the skin as a counterirritant or anodyne.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'liniment'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to liniment, see:
  • Dressings and Supports - liniment: soothing camphor and alcohol preparation rubbed into skin or applied on surgical dressing


  See crossword solutions for the clue Liniment.
Sloan's Liniment (at right) was once a popular over-the-counter drug store item.

Liniment (or embrocation), from the Latin linere, to anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also called balm. Liniments are of a similar viscosity to lotions (being significantly less viscous than an ointment or cream) but unlike a lotion a liniment is applied with friction; that is, a liniment is always rubbed in.[citation needed]

Liniments are typically sold to relieve pain and stiffness, such as from sore muscles or from arthritis. These liniments typically are formulated from alcohol, acetone, or similar quickly evaporating solvents and contain counterirritant aromatic chemical compounds such as methyl salicilate, benzoin resin, or capsaicin. Opodeldoc is a sort of liniment invented by the physician Paracelsus.

Contents

Uses on horses

Liniments are a common substance used by trainers and owners of horses. They may be applied diluted or full-strength, usually added into a bucket of water when sponged on the body. Liniments are especially useful in hot weather to help a hot horse cool down: the alcohols help the product to quickly evaporate, and the oils they contain cause the capillaries in the skin to dilate, also increasing the cooling process.

Liniments should always be applied according to the manufacturer's directions, and diluted as necessary. Many horse owners apply liniments to the legs as a brace, and then wrap over it. In this case, they should be sure that the liniment is not too strong, or it may cause blistering of the skin.

Liniments may be used on the legs and body, but should not be applied to more sensitive areas such as the head, genitals or groin of the horse. The body may also be too sensitive to apply liniments if the horse was recently body-clipped.

Topical medication forms

(Source: [1])

  • Cream - Emulsion of oil and water in approximately equal proportions. Penetrates stratum corneum outer layer of skin well.
  • Ointment - Combines oil (80%) and water (20%). Effective barrier against moisture loss.
  • Gel - Liquefies upon contact with the skin.
  • Paste - Combines three agents - oil, water, and powder; an ointment in which a powder is suspended.
  • Powder

References in Literature

In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the Negro stable buck, Crooks, rubs it on his crooked spine, to ease the pain. In Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, local witch Granny Aching is known, among other things, for the liberal application of her home brewed Special Sheep Liniment.

See also

References

  1. ^ Doctor, why are you prescribing an ointment?; American Academy of Dermatology; http://www.skincarephysicians.com/eczemanet/doctor.html



Translations:

Liniment

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - liniment

Nederlands (Dutch)
smeerzalf, wrijfmiddel, smeersel

Français (French)
n. - onguent, liniment

Deutsch (German)
n. - (Med.) Einreibemittel

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - αλοιφή (εντριβής), υλικό επάλειψης, επάλειψη

Italiano (Italian)
linimento

Português (Portuguese)
n. - linimento (m), ungüento (m)

Русский (Russian)
жидкая мазь

Español (Spanish)
n. - linimento

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - (läk.) liniment

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
擦剂, 搽剂

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 擦劑, 搽劑

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 액상의 바르는 약

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 塗り薬

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مرهم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮משחה, משחת עיסוי, משחת ריפוי‬


 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Oxford Food & Fitness Dictionary. Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Oxford A-Z of Medicinal Drugs. Market University Press. © 2000, 2003, 2010 An A-Z of Medicinal Drugs. All rights reserved.  Read more
Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary. Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary © Anne Bradford, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 HarperCollins Publishers All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Liniment Read more
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