noun
turpentine
TUR-puhn-tyn
noun
1
A strong-smelling oil distilled from pine resin, used as a solvent and paint thinner.
"He cleaned his paintbrushes with turpentine."
"The workshop reeked of turpentine and sawdust."
How to Use Turpentine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA strong solvent made from pine resin, used to thin paint and clean brushes.
Common pairings
smell of turpentine
clean with turpentine
Word Forms
turpentined past tense, turpentines plural, turpentines singular
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Etymology
Traces back through Old French and Latin to Ancient Greek terebinthos, the name of the terebinth tree whose resin was originally used to make it.