lanolin (redirected from lanoline)

lanolin, greasy, yellow substance extracted from wool. When purified, it is used as a base for ointments and creams, as a lubricant, and in finishing and preserving leather. It is also a constituent of some varnishes and paints. Chemically, lanolin is chiefly a mixture of cholesterol and the esters of several fatty acids. With water it forms an emulsion. As a waste product in wool processing, it is known also as wool wax, wool fat, or wool grease.

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lanolin, lanoline

a yellowish viscous substance extracted from wool, consisting of a mixture of esters of fatty acids: used in some ointments

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lanolin [′lan·ə·lən]

(materials)

The hydrous sheep's-wool wax (primarily cholesterol esters of higher fatty acids) derived as a by-product from the preparation of raw wool for the spinner; used as a base for emollients in cosmetics and shampoos.