Definition

Noun: - A pale yellow, volatile essential oil obtained by distilling bitter almonds or the cake/meal left after pressing them. It contains benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide, giving it a characteristic bitter almond aroma and making it toxic unless processed to remove the cyanide.

Usage

• Noun: Used to refer to the specific essential oil, primarily in industrial, flavoring (after purification), or historical medicinal contexts.
  • The recipe calls for a drop of bitter almond oil for its distinct marzipan-like flavor.
  • Historically, bitter almond oil was used in minute doses in some medicines.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Industrial Context: Often specified in chemistry, perfumery, and food science for its benzaldehyde content. The term distinguishes it from "sweet almond oil," which is a fixed, non-volatile, and edible oil.
  • The synthetic production of benzaldehyde has largely replaced the use of natural bitter almond oil in food flavorings.

Variants and Related Words

• Essential oil of bitter almond: A more descriptive synonym.
• Benzaldehyde oil: A term highlighting its primary chemical constituent.
• Almond oil (sweet): A related but distinct substance; a fixed, edible oil pressed from sweet almonds, used in cosmetics and cooking. CRITICAL NOTE: "Bitter almond oil" and "almond oil" (typically meaning sweet almond oil) are different products.

Synonyms

• Oil of bitter almond
• Essential oil from Prunus dulcis var. amara (scientific botanical source)

Related Phrases/Compounds

• Volatile almond oil: A phrase emphasizing its evaporative nature, often synonymous with bitter almond oil.
• Bitter almond extract: Often a purified, safer form of the flavoring, where the toxic components have been removed.

Noun

1. pale yellow essential oil obtained from bitter almonds by distillation from almond cake or meal