drying oil

American  

noun

1. any of a group of oily, organic liquids occurring naturally, as linseed, soybean, or dehydrated castor oil, or synthesized, that when applied as a thin coating absorb atmospheric oxygen, forming a tough, elastic layer.

---

drying oil British  

noun

1. one of a number of animal or vegetable oils, such as linseed oil, that harden by oxidation on exposure to air: used as a base for some paints and varnishes

---

Etymology

Origin of drying oil

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Father Nieuwland shook his head, decided it might be good for drying oil or possibly sheep dip.

From Time Magazine Archive

We have been told that drying oil mixed with mastic varnish has been, though not very recently, used in our National Gallery.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, Number 360, October 1845 by Various

One pint of drying oil, two ounces of yellow wax, two ounces of spirit of turpentine, and half an ounce of Burgundy pitch, should be carefully melted together over a slow fire.

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Eaton, Mary, fl. 1823-1849

It contains large quantities of stearin and has a low iodine value, making it a slow drying oil.

From Paint Technology and Tests by Gardner, Henry A.

The workmen must do without sleep; we will use drying oil in the paint.

From Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Balzac, Honoré de