entry
lanolin
/ˈlænəlɪn/Waxy substance extracted from sheep’s wool
From Latin lana (wool) + Latin, from Ancient Greek oleum (oil).
from Latin lana "wool" (from PIE root *wele- (1) "wool;" see wool ) + oleum "oil, fat" (see oil (n.)) + chemical suffix...
from German Lanolin , coined by German physician Mathias Eugenius Oscar Liebreich (1838-1908)
from German Lanolin , coined by German physician Mathias Eugenius Oscar Liebreich (1838-1908)
Word Ancestry
from Latin lana "wool" (from PIE root *wele- (1) "wool;" see wool ) + oleum "oil, fat" (see oil (n.)) + chemical suffix...
from German Lanolin , coined by German physician Mathias Eugenius Oscar Liebreich (1838-1908)
from German Lanolin , coined by German physician Mathias Eugenius Oscar Liebreich (1838-1908)
Imagine a sheep walking through rain with its own built-in waterproofing system: its sebaceous glands coat the wool with a waxy secretion that helps water slide away. In 1885, the German physician Mathias Eugenius Oscar Liebreich gave that material a compact laboratory name by joining Latin lāna, “wool,” with oleum, “oil,” and the scientific suffix -in. The oil part has a surprisingly Mediterranean family tree: Latin oleum came from Greek ἔλαιον, “olive oil,” making lanolin a linguistic meeting point between a woolly sheep and an olive grove. Older English already had lanigerous, “wool-bearing,” from Latin laniger, but lanolin was the word that stuck in pharmacies and cosmetics. And although people still call it “wool fat,” lanolin is chemically a wax rather than a true fat—so the sheep is wearing a waterproof wax coat, not carrying a tiny jar of butter.
The Story
Imagine a sheep walking through rain with its own built-in waterproofing system: its sebaceous glands coat the wool with a waxy secretion that helps water slide away. In 1885, the German physician Mathias Eugenius Oscar Liebreich gave that material a compact laboratory name by joining Latin lāna, “wool,” with oleum, “oil,” and the scientific suffix -in. The oil part has a surprisingly Mediterranean family tree: Latin oleum came from Greek ἔλαιον, “olive oil,” making lanolin a linguistic meeting point between a woolly sheep and an olive grove. Older English already had lanigerous, “wool-bearing,” from Latin laniger, but lanolin was the word that stuck in pharmacies and cosmetics. And although people still call it “wool fat,” lanolin is chemically a wax rather than a true fat—so the sheep is wearing a waterproof wax coat, not carrying a tiny jar of butter.
Modern Usage
A low-information slang usage involving sheep’s wool and a quoted phrase
Popularized by: Urban Dictionary entries
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries describing nonstandard slang uses
Kin & Kindred
From 'lana'·wool
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'oleum'·oil, especially olive oil
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From '-in'·chemical substance-name suffix
Derived Terms
English words from this root