PEPPERMINT

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does peppermint mean? 

• PEPPERMINT (noun)
  The noun PEPPERMINT has 3 senses:

1. herb with downy leaves and small purple or white flowers that yields a pungent oil used as a flavoring

2. red gum tree of Tasmania

3. a candy flavored with peppermint oil

  Familiarity information: PEPPERMINT used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PEPPERMINT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Herb with downy leaves and small purple or white flowers that yields a pungent oil used as a flavoring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Mentha piperita; peppermint

Hypernyms ("peppermint" is a kind of...):

mint (any north temperate plant of the genus Mentha with aromatic leaves and small mauve flowers)

Meronyms (substance of "peppermint"):

peppermint oil (oil from the peppermint plant used as flavoring)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Red gum tree of Tasmania

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Eucalyptus amygdalina; peppermint; peppermint gum; red gum

Hypernyms ("peppermint" is a kind of...):

eucalypt; eucalyptus; eucalyptus tree (a tree of the genus Eucalyptus)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A candy flavored with peppermint oil

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

peppermint; peppermint candy

Hypernyms ("peppermint" is a kind of...):

mint; mint candy (a candy that is flavored with a mint oil)

Meronyms (substance of "peppermint"):

peppermint oil (oil from the peppermint plant used as flavoring)

 Context examples 

A characteristic of a medicinal product, specifying that its most predominant agreeable savor detected by the unified sensation of taste and olfactory receptors resembles peppermint.

(Peppermint Flavor, NCI Thesaurus)

Peppermint oil is used for its aromatic properties and as a flavoring and to treat illnesses of the digestive and respiratory system as well as pain.

(Peppermint Oil, NCI Thesaurus)

When added to pharmaceuticals and foods, menthol functions as a fortifier for peppermint flavors.

(Levomenthol, NCI Thesaurus)

A colorless, corrosive, oily liquid that darkens with age and has a faint peppermint odor.

(Diethyl Sulfate, NCI Thesaurus)

An organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or mint oils with flavoring and local anesthetic properties.

(Menthol, NCI Thesaurus)

Such nondisclosure can cause difficulties in identifying flavor-related adverse events, e.g. allergic reactions from common allergens such as menthol, lemon oil, or peppermint oil.

(Flavor Excipient, NCI Thesaurus)

A herbal-based mouthrinse containing aloe, anise, ascorbic acid, clove, peppermint, spearmint and thyme, with potential anti-mucositic activity.

(Aloe/Anise/Ascorbic Acid/Clove/Peppermint/Spearmint/Thyme-based Mouthwash, NCI Thesaurus)

At about this time, too, I made three discoveries: first, that Mrs. Crupp was a martyr to a curious disorder called the spazzums, which was generally accompanied with inflammation of the nose, and required to be constantly treated with peppermint; secondly, that something peculiar in the temperature of my pantry, made the brandy-bottles burst; thirdly, that I was alone in the world, and much given to record that circumstance in fragments of English versification.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Beyond sat a pair of humble lovers, artlessly holding each other by the hand, a somber spinster eating peppermints out of a paper bag, and an old gentleman taking his preparatory nap behind a yellow bandanna.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

A levo isomer of menthol, an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or mint oils with flavoring and local anesthetic properties.

(Levomenthol, NCI Thesaurus)