had been oiling

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of oil.
  oil

  noun

  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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

had been oiling

This was the mid-’80s, and People had been oiling its Hollywood-human interest machine for a decade.

From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2014

Related Words

• coat
• grease