the melted or rendered fat of animals, especially when in a soft state.
fatty or oily matter in general; lubricant.
Also called grease wool. wool, as shorn, before being cleansed of the oily matter.
Also called grease-heel[grees-heel]/ˈgrisˌhil/. Veterinary Pathology. inflammation of a horse's skin in the fetlock region, attended with an oily secretion.
Informal. a bribe.
verb (used with object),greased,greasing.
to put grease on; lubricate: to grease the axle of a car.
to smear or cover with grease.
to cause to occur easily; smooth the way; facilitate.
Related formsgrease·less, adjectivegrease·less·ness, noungrease·proof, adjectivere·grease, verb (used with object),re·greased,re·greas·ing.un·greased, adjectivewell-greased, adjectiveCan be confusedgreaseGreece
c.1300, from Anglo-French grece, from Old French gresse, craisse "grease, fat" (Modern French graisse), from Vulgar Latin *crassia "(melted) animal fat, grease," from Latin crassus "thick, solid, fat" (cf. Spanish grasa, Italian grassa). Grease paint, used by actors, attested from 1888. Grease monkey "mechanic" is from 1928.
v.
c.1300, from grease (n.). Sense of "ply with bribe or protection money" is 1520s, from notion of grease the wheels "make things run smoothly" (mid-15c.). To grease (someone's) palm is from 1580s. Expression greased lightning, representing something that goes very fast, is American English, by 1832.
