lubricant
Americannoun
adjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonlubricant noun
- unlubricant adjective
Etymology
Origin of lubricant
1815–25; < Latin lūbricant- (stem of lūbricāns ), present participle of lūbricāre to make slippery. See lubric, -ant
Explanation
Lubricant is an oily or greasy substance that makes machine parts move more easily. If your door squeaks loudly every time you open it, you may want to use some lubricant on its rusty hinges. When metal surfaces are in contact with each other, especially when they're rough or rusty, there's friction. In order for a machine with moving parts to work quickly and efficiently, it's important to reduce that friction, which is where lubricant comes in. These are usually made mostly of oil, though often they're thicker than a liquid, and they enable two surfaces to slide smoothly against each other, whether that's a key in a lock or engine parts in a car.
Vocabulary lists containing lubricant
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.
Petroleum is an essential element in modern industry, whether used as a fuel, a lubricant or an ingredient in plastics and chemicals.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
“Oil, of course, is entirely consumed outside of plastics and lubricant recycling,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025
In a press briefing after the indictment was unsealed, US prosecutor Damian Williams said officials found firearms, ammunition and more than 1,000 bottles of lubricant during the raids on Mr Combs's homes.
From BBC • Sep. 17, 2024
Whale oil was legally sold in the U.S. until 1972, and could be used for anything from gun lubricant to transmission fluid.
From Salon • Aug. 23, 2024
I wondered if the lubricant had been derived from the rendered bodies of dead horses.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
