Definition

Noun: * A pale yellow to golden-brown oil extracted from the kernels of walnuts, primarily used as a food oil and in wood finishing.

Usage

• As a culinary ingredient: Walnut oil is valued for its rich, nutty flavor and is often used in salad dressings, drizzled over finished dishes, or in baking. It is typically not used for high-heat cooking.
  • The chef finished the salad with a drizzle of walnut oil.
  • This recipe calls for walnut oil instead of olive oil.
• As a finishing oil for wood: Due to its drying properties, walnut oil is used to protect and enhance the natural grain of wood, especially on furniture, gun stocks, and cutting boards.
  • He applied walnut oil to the wooden table to bring out its color.

Advanced Usage

• In art conservation: Historically, walnut oil was used as a binder in oil paints and varnishes.
  • Some traditional paint recipes use walnut oil as a medium.

Variants and Related Words

• Walnut (noun): The edible seed or the tree from which the oil is derived.
• Nut oil (noun): A general term for oils extracted from nuts, such as almond oil or hazelnut oil.

Synonyms

• Juglans oil (technical/scientific term derived from the genus name for walnut trees).

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically refers to the oil pressed from the nut meat (kernel) of walnuts. It is distinct from oils that may be infused with walnut flavor or from the essential oil of the walnut tree itself.

Noun

1. oil from walnuts