oil
Americannoun
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oils
plural
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any of a large class of substances typically unctuous, viscous, combustible, liquid at ordinary temperatures, and soluble in ether or alcohol but not in water: used for anointing, perfuming, lubricating, illuminating, heating, etc.
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a substance of this or similar consistency.
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refined or crude petroleum.
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Painting.
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Informal. unctuous hypocrisy; flattery.
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an oilskin garment.
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Australian and New Zealand Slang. facts or news; information.
good oil.
verb (used with object)
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oils,
present (3rd person singular)
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oiled,
past participle, past
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oiling
present participle
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to smear, lubricate, or supply with oil.
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to bribe.
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to make unctuous or smooth.
to oil his words.
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to convert into oil by melting, as butter.
adjective
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pertaining to or resembling oil.
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using oil, especially as a fuel.
an oil furnace.
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concerned with the production or use of oil.
an offshore oil rig.
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made with oil.
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obtained from oil.
idioms
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pour oil on troubled waters, to attempt to calm a difficult or tense situation, as an argument.
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strike oil,
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to discover oil, especially to bring in a well.
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to have good luck, especially financially; make an important and valuable discovery.
They struck oil only after years of market research.
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noun
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any of a number of viscous liquids with a smooth sticky feel. They are usually flammable, insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents, and are obtained from plants and animals, from mineral deposits, and by synthesis. They are used as lubricants, fuels, perfumes, foodstuffs, and raw materials for chemicals See also essential oil fixed oil
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another name for petroleum
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( as modifier )
an oil engine
an oil rig
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Also called: lubricating oil. any of a number of substances usually derived from petroleum and used for lubrication
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( in combination )
an oilcan
an oilstone
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( as modifier )
an oil pump
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Also called: fuel oil. a petroleum product used as a fuel in domestic heating, industrial furnaces, marine engines, etc
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paraffin, esp when used as a domestic fuel
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( as modifier )
an oil lamp
an oil stove
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any substance of a consistency resembling that of oil
oil of vitriol
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the solvent, usually linseed oil, with which pigments are mixed to make artists' paints
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(often plural) oil colour or paint
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( as modifier )
an oil painting
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an oil painting
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slang facts or news
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to discover petroleum while drilling for it
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informal to become very rich or successful
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verb
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to lubricate, smear, polish, etc, with oil or an oily substance
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informal to bribe (esp in the phrase oil someone's palm )
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to make things run smoothly
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See well-oiled
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Any of a large class of viscous liquids that are typically very slippery and greasy. Oils are composed mostly of glycerides. They are flammable, do not mix with water, and include animal and vegetable fats as well as substances of mineral or synthetic origin. They are used in food, soap, and candles, and make good lubricants and fuels.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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oillessnessnoun
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reoilverb
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oil-likeadjective
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oillessadjective
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oillikeadjective
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self-oilingadjective
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unoilingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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oilsimple
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oilssimple
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have oiledperfect
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has oiledperfect
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am oilingprogressive
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are oilingprogressive
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is oilingprogressive
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have been oilingperfect progressive
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has been oilingperfect progressive
Past
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oiledsimple
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had oiledperfect
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was oilingprogressive
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were oilingprogressive
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had been oilingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of oil
1125–75; Middle English olie, oile < Old French < Latin oleum, olīvum (olive) oil < *oleivum ( cf. Deus) < dialectal Greek *élaiwon ( Attic élaion ), derivative of *elaíwā olive
Explanation
Oil is a liquid fat or fuel. You might dress your salad with olive oil and use motor oil in your car's engine; just don't confuse the two! There's the oil you put in your car or use to oil a rusty lock — then there's the oil you heat to stir fry vegetables or whisk with vinegar to make salad dressing. Chemically, these oils have a lot in common, from their tendency to avoid water to their slipperiness to the ease with which they catch on fire. Still, you'd never want to toss a bowl of spaghetti with motor oil — stick to olive oil instead.
Vocabulary lists containing oil
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Among the measures is the requirement for every new batch of food to be tested, and for flour, rice and cooking oil to be purchased from centralised procurement points only.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
To save money and time, the equivalent oil pipeline was routed through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
At the same time escalating tensions in the Middle East, with ongoing strikes between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, have pushed oil prices higher.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Liu’s big bets were an object of fascination among oil traders and brokers, many of whom tried to mimic his moves and profit on his prescience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
He took down from the wall the oil painting of the man in uniform.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Some plants infuse their leaves with chemicals that are toxic to pests but useful to humans in moderation, such as the bitter tannins in tea and the fragrant oils in mint and rosemary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Essential oils contain naturally occurring compounds produced by plants, some of which have antimicrobial properties.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
One promising approach involves testing plant-based essential oils, beneficial microorganisms, and other biological products as possible alternatives to conventional chemical treatments.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Costco recently raised the price of its private-label Kirkland motor oils to $58 for 10 quarts, up from $36 on May 30, according to Mizuho Securities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The rocks go in the bowls, along with a few drops of the oils she brought: lavender, lemon, and rose.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
The charity said the 13 birds had been collected and taken away to be cleaned but several other "partially oiled" birds were spotted and proved unable to be retrieved.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
In college, I found a treadle machine in an empty dorm room, oiled it and made a blouse and quilt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
Exterior walls, built from Douglas fir, were freshly oiled and flammable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2025
If using a ready made crust with two in a pack, roll out the second one, use a cookie cutter to make rounds to place in an oiled muffin pan for mini pies.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024
The hair on his head was as thick and oiled as an otter’s pelt.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
I learned that oiling the blade prevents humidity from tarnishing the steel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025
The high concentration of pine forest in North Gyeongsang province, where the fires are burning, is also "oiling" the blaze, said a forest disaster expert.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2025
Once cooled, take it out, preheat the oven again to 450 and repeat the oiling and baking process three to four more times.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2023
Inspired by the Southeast Asian ritual of hair oiling, this serum contains three simple, organic ingredients: sunflower oil, jasmine oil and amla extract.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
He looked as if he could use an oiling himself—he moved quite creakily, and with a pronounced stoop, so that he truly seemed as old as he appeared in his disguise.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
