膏

A phono-semantic compound:

肉 (flesh) — semantic component

高 (high) — phonetic component

Originally, it referred to fat extracted from animal flesh, especially thick, viscous fats used for nourishment, medicine, or ritual purposes.

고약 (膏藥) — medicinal plaster

When used as a product name, 膏 may refer to a liqueur or thick alcoholic preparation, emphasizing richness or viscosity rather than pure oil.

膏 often appears in medical, cosmetic, and technical vocabulary, rather than everyday speech.

Compared to 油 (oil), 膏 implies:

- greater thickness

- higher viscosity

- medicinal or functional purpose