Standard Lemma guide

lanolin

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlænəlɪn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L AE1 N AH0 L AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: L AE1 N AH0 L IH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A greasy yellow substance chemically akin to wax that is secreted from wooly animals, with a variety of uses from rust prevention, lubrication and waterproofing to cosmetics and skin ointments.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To treat with lanolin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an emollient containing wool fat (a fatty substance obtained from the wool of sheep)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cream, ointment, emollient

4

noun

Meaning 4

a yellow viscous animal oil extracted from wool; a mixture of fatty acids and esters; used in some ointments and cosmetics

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wool fat, wool grease

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: animal oil

History

Etymology

Former trademark (1885-1902), from lāna (“wool”) + oleum (“oil”) + -in

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Aramaic: ܙܘܦܐ (zōṗā) — greasy yellow substance
  • Armenian: լանոլին (lanolin) — greasy yellow substance
  • Bulgarian: ланоли́н (lanolín) — greasy yellow substance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 羊毛脂 (yángmáozhī) — greasy yellow substance
  • Finnish: lanoliini — greasy yellow substance
  • French: lanoline — greasy yellow substance
  • German: Wollwachs — greasy yellow substance
  • German: Wollschweißfett — greasy yellow substance
  • Greek: λανολίνη (lanolíni) — greasy yellow substance
  • Ancient Greek: οἰσύπη (oisúpē) — greasy yellow substance
  • Ancient Greek: οἴσυπος (oísupos) — greasy yellow substance
  • Icelandic: ullarfeiti — greasy yellow substance
  • Irish: úsc olla — greasy yellow substance
  • Italian: lanolina — greasy yellow substance
  • Japanese: ラノリン (ranorin) — greasy yellow substance
  • Korean: 라놀린 (ranollin) — greasy yellow substance
  • Korean: 양모지 (yangmoji) — greasy yellow substance
  • Latin: oesypum — greasy yellow substance
  • Latin: lānolīnum — greasy yellow substance
  • Latin: adeps lānae — greasy yellow substance
  • Macedonian: сереј (serej) — greasy yellow substance
  • Macedonian: серај (seraj) — greasy yellow substance
  • Macedonian: ланолин (lanolin) — greasy yellow substance
  • Portuguese: lanolina — greasy yellow substance
  • Romanian: lanolină — greasy yellow substance
  • Russian: ланоли́н (lanolín) — greasy yellow substance
  • Spanish: lanolina — greasy yellow substance
  • Tagalog: lanolina — greasy yellow substance
  • Turkish: lanolin — greasy yellow substance