linseed oil

American  

noun

1. a drying oil obtained by pressing flaxseed, used in making paints, printing inks, linoleum, etc.

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linseed oil British  

noun

1. a yellow oil extracted from seeds of the flax plant. It has great drying qualities and is used in making oil paints, printer's ink, linoleum, etc

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Etymology

Origin of linseed oil

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

The company Forbo has a low-carbon linoleum range called Marmoleum that uses the traditional ingredients like linseed oil, and sometimes adds ingredients like cocoa shells.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Taking a bottle of powdered cadmium sulfide pigment off a shelf, she mixed it with linseed oil and then brushed it on microscope slides to dry.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2024

Q: We placed a fall gourd as a decoration on our curly maple dining table, which is finished only with linseed oil that we apply periodically.

From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2023

He now mixes a pasty, cold wax in with his linseed oil and paint to create a unique concoction that gives the canvas surface a translucency that he sees as “parallel to the porcelain.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2023

In the doorway, he paused to draw in the cool air—it smelled of wood and hay and linseed oil and varnish.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker