Definition of "banana oil" []

• A liquid mixture of amyl acetate and usually nitrocellulose, having a bananalike odor and used as a solvent or flavoring agent. (noun)
• See amyl acetate. (noun)
• Slang Insincere flattery; nonsensical exaggeration. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "National Guardsmen trucked sawdust from mountain sawmills to the plains, where it was mixed with bran, molasses, sodium arsenite, and banana oil to make a death brew for the hoppers."