citronella oil

Main Entry: citronella oil
Function: noun
: a yellowish essential oil with a lemony odor obtained from either of two grasses and used especially as an insect repellent: a : an oil from citronella grass containing chiefly geraniol b : an oil from a related grass (Cymbopogon winterianus) containing citronellal, citronellol, andgeraniol

citronella oil

member of a class of naturally occurring organic substances called terpenes. Citronella oil is obtained from the leaves of the oil grasses Cymbopogon nardus and C. winterianus. The oil has a wide range of uses, from medicines to perfumes for soaps. Two derivatives of citronella oil include the alcohol citronellol and the aldehyde citronellal.

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