The Collaborative International Dictionary
Peppermint \Pep"per*mint\, n. [Pepper + mint.]
(Bot.) An aromatic and pungent plant of the genus Mentha ( Mentha piperita), much used in medicine and confectionery.
A volatile oil (oil of peppermint) distilled from the fresh herb; also, a well-known essence or spirit (essence of peppermint) obtained from it.
-
A lozenge of sugar flavored with peppermint.
Peppermint camphor. (Chem.) Same as Menthol.
Peppermint tree (Bot.), a name given to several Australian species of gum tree ( Eucalyptus amygdalina, Eucalyptus piperita, E. odorata, etc.) which have hard and durable wood, and yield an essential oil.
Mint \Mint\ (m[i^]nt), n. [AS. minte, fr. L. mentha, Gr. mi`nqa, mi`nqh.] (Bot.) The name of several aromatic labiate plants, mostly of the genus Mentha, yielding odoriferous essential oils by distillation. See Mentha.
Note:
Corn mint is Mentha arvensis.
Horsemint is Mentha sylvestris, and in the United States Monarda punctata, which differs from the true mints in several respects.
Mountain mint is any species of the related genus Pycnanthemum, common in North America.
Peppermint is Mentha piperita.
Spearmint is Mentha viridis.
Water mint is Mentha aquatica.
Mint camphor. (Chem.) See Menthol.
Mint julep. See Julep.
Mint sauce, a sauce flavored with spearmint, for meats.
Usage examples of "mentha piperita".
Of the members of the mint family under cultivation the most important are the several varieties of the Peppermint (Mentha piperita), extensively cultivated for years as the source of the well-known volatile oil of Peppermint, used as a flavouring and therapeutic agent.