citronella
(sɪtrəˈnɛlə)
[mod.L.]
A fragrant Asian grass, Cymbopogon nardus, which yields an oil much used in perfumery. Also, the oil itself; in full, citronella oil.
| 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Citronella, an essential oil obtained from the grass Andropogon Citratum, and chiefly imported from Ceylon. 1882 Bentley Man. Bot. (ed. 4) 735 Cetronella Oil or Oil of Citronelle. 1903 Westm. Gaz. 30 Nov. 2/1 One and a half million pounds of citronella oil are yearly exported. 1911 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. C. i. 476 The citronella grasses of Ceylon are of four kinds. 1959 Times Rev. Industry Oct. 96/3 Harvesters for citronella. |
Hence citroˈnellic a.; citroˈnellal, a substance found in citronella, eucalyptus, and lemon oils; citroˈnellol, an alcohol found in rose, pelargonium, and geranium oils.
| 1872 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. XXV. 8 The refraction equivalent of citronellol is..79·3 or 79·8, instead of the theoretical 73·7. 1890 Ibid. LVIII. i. 231 The author names it citronellic aldehyde, and considers it to be β-methyl-δ-isobutylallyl-acetaldehyde. 1891 Ibid. LX. i. 285 Citronellic aldehyde must be regarded as a homologue of acraldehyde. 1893 Ibid. LXX. i. 382 Compounds of the Citronellal Series. 1906 Ibid. XC. i. 442 The citronella oil..contained 32·7 per cent. of geraniol and 55·3 per cent. of citronellal. 1961 B.S.I. News Sept. 13/2 The determination of primary alcohols, including determination of citronellol in the presence of geraniol. 1964 Economist 26 Dec. 1448/1 Rose-like chemicals like geraniol, citronellal and phenyl ethyl ether. |