The noun 膏 (gāo) refers to a cream, paste, or ointment. It can describe medicinal ointments, toothpaste (牙膏), or other paste-like substances. In scientific contexts, it can refer to paste-like mixtures used in experiments.
这个药膏涂在伤口上很快就不疼了。
Zhège yàogāo tú zài shāngkǒu shàng hěn kuài jiù bù téng le.
This ointment stops the pain very quickly when applied to a wound.
我每天早上用牙膏刷两次牙。
Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang yòng yágāo shuā liǎng cì yá.
I brush my teeth twice every morning with toothpaste.
实验室里有一种特殊的导热膏。
Shíyànshì lǐ yǒu yī zhǒng tèshū de dǎorè gāo.
There is a special thermal paste in the laboratory.