also: あぶらぐすり
medicated plaster; patch
A medicinal adhesive patch applied to the skin, often for pain relief or inflammation. Typically read こうやく.
I put a medicated plaster on my stiff shoulder.
Only with reading あぶらぐすり
A greasy or oily medicinal substance applied to the skin; especially associated with the reading あぶらぐすり.
I applied ointment to the insect bite.
湿布 is a moist compress or poultice, often used for cooling or warming, while 膏薬 is a medicated adhesive patch.
軟膏 is a general term for ointment or salve, while 膏薬/あぶらぐすり specifically refers to a greasy liniment or traditional ointment.
Standard kanji spelling for medicinal plaster/patch.
Rare kanji spelling for the ointment sense, using 脂 (fat/oil).
Rare kanji spelling for the ointment sense, using 油 (oil).
Search-only kanji form; not a standard written spelling.
Kana spelling for the ointment sense; common when the reading あぶらぐすり is used.
膏薬 is a Sino-Japanese compound of 膏 (fat, grease, ointment) and 薬 (medicine). The reading あぶらぐすり is a native Japanese compound of 油/脂 (oil/fat) and 薬 (medicine).