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Synonyms

lubricant

American  
[loo-bri-kuhnt] / ˈlu brɪ kənt /

noun

  1. a substance, as oil or grease, for lessening friction, especially in the working parts of a mechanism.

adjective

  1. capable of lubricating; used to lubricate.

lubricant British  
/ ˈluːbrɪkənt /

noun

  1. a lubricating substance, such as oil

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. serving to lubricate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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

The carry trade was the lubricant keeping global asset prices inflated.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 23, 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.