citronella
/sɪtrəˈnɛlə
/noun
1 (also citronella oil) [mass noun] A fragrant natural oil used as an insect repellent and in perfume and soap manufacture: [as modifier]: citronella candles...
- New machines designed to release sprays based on citronella oil or geraniol, another plant-derived repellent with a sweet, rosy odor, also are available.
- Repellent candles or lamps, that burn citronella oil, are readily available from hardware stores and some supermarkets.
- Most use citronella oil as a primary bug deterrent, but some contain long lists of ‘essential’ ingredients.
2The South Asian grass from which citronella oil is obtained.
- Cymbopogon nardus, family Gramineae.
- Some herbs that repel fleas include: juniper, pennyroyal, citronella, eucalyptus, cedar and Canadian fleabane.
- The research station has succeeded in making 400 lemon grass germ plasm collections, 21 pamarosa collections, 8 vetiver collections and 18 citronella collections.
Origin
Mid 19th century: modern Latin, from citron + the diminutive suffix -ella.
Rhymes
- online database
- online dater
- online dating
- online forum
- online gambling
- online game
- online gamer
- online gaming
- online magazine
- online newspaper
- onliner
- online radio
- online search
- online service provider
- online shop
- online shopping
- onliness
- online store
- on loan
- onlook
- onlooker
- onlooking
- only
- only begetter
- only-begotten