lubricate
to apply some oily or greasy substance to (a machine, parts of a mechanism, etc.) in order to diminish friction; oil or grease (something).
to make slippery or smooth; apply a lubricant to: to lubricate one's hands with a lotion.
to smooth over, as a difficulty or human relationship; ease: to lubricate the friction between enemies.
Slang. to provide with intoxicating drinks.
Slang. to bribe.
to act as a lubricant.
to apply a lubricant to something.
Slang. to drink or become drunk.
Origin of lubricate
1Other words from lubricate
- lu·bri·ca·tion, noun
- lu·bri·ca·tion·al, adjective
- lu·bri·ca·tive, adjective
- lu·bri·ca·to·ry [loo-bri-kuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ˈlu brɪ kəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective
- non·lu·bri·cat·ing, adjective
- o·ver·lu·bri·cate, verb (used with object), o·ver·lu·bri·cat·ed, o·ver·lu·bri·cat·ing.
- o·ver·lu·bri·ca·tion, noun
- re·lu·bri·cate, verb (used with object), re·lu·bri·cat·ed, re·lu·bri·cat·ing.
- re·lu·bri·ca·tion, noun
- self-lu·bri·cat·ed, adjective
- self-lu·bri·cat·ing, adjective
- self-lu·bri·ca·tion, noun
- un·lu·bri·cat·ed, adjective
- un·lu·bri·cat·ing, adjective
- un·lu·bri·ca·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lubricate in a sentence
The downside of this conception was that he often rejected the oily give-and-take that lubricates a system of opposite and rival interests.
The case for Jimmy Carter as a ‘consequential’ president | Russell L. Riley | December 4, 2020 | Washington PostThe bright lights, big-name speakers and photo booths were there to lubricate deals for companies, not delight customers.
B2B events were broken before the pandemic, their online reinvention is creating positive change | Hubspot | September 20, 2020 | DigidayHe then shoves it up his ass, which is usually pre-lubricated, since we were all strip-searched on the way out.
This Anti-Heroin Drug Is Now King of the Jailhouse Drug Trade | Daniel Genis | July 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI remember the lubricated side against me, not against her, sliding back and forth.
Inside the reception proper, the ballroom crowd was thinner if equally well lubricated.
Partying With the Senate Democrats: The Party’s Newest Stars | Michelle Cottle | November 7, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
That was the entirety of his praise for the man he previously called a “perfectly lubricated weathervane.”
Jon Huntsman’s Irrelevant Exit From the Republican Race | Michelle Goldberg | January 16, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTHe was aware of the muscles pulling and relaxing as the kelit ran, and the long bones sliding in their lubricated joints.
Insidekick | Jesse Franklin BoneThis should be oiled occasionally in its whole length, so that each joint is properly lubricated.
The Sportswoman's Library, v. 2 | VariousThe breaker lever should be lubricated every 1,000 miles with a drop of light oil, applied with a tooth-pick.
Aviation Engines | Victor Wilfred PagThe cylinder walls and wrist pins are lubricated by oil spray thrown from the lower end of connecting rod bearings.
Aviation Engines | Victor Wilfred PagThe parts of the motor that are lubricated by an independent feed line in this manner may vary with different motors.
The Gasoline Motor | Harold Whiting Slauson
British Dictionary definitions for lubricate
/ (ˈluːbrɪˌkeɪt) /
(tr) to cover or treat with an oily or greasy substance so as to lessen friction
(tr) to make greasy, slippery, or smooth
(intr) to act as a lubricant
Origin of lubricate
1Derived forms of lubricate
- lubrication, noun
- lubricational, adjective
- lubricative, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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