lubricate

[loo-bri-keyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lubricate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), lu·bri·cat·ed, lu·bri·cat·ing.

to apply some oily or greasy substance to (a machine, parts of a mechanism, etc.) in order to diminish friction; oil or grease (something).

to make slippery or smooth; apply a lubricant to: to lubricate one's hands with a lotion.

to smooth over, as a difficulty or human relationship; ease: to lubricate the friction between enemies.

Slang. to provide with intoxicating drinks.

Slang. to bribe.

verb (used without object), lu·bri·cat·ed, lu·bri·cat·ing.

to act as a lubricant.

to apply a lubricant to something.

Slang. to drink or become drunk.

Nearby words

Origin of lubricate

1615–25; < Latin lūbricātus, past participle of lūbricāre to make slippery. See lubric, -ate¹

Related forms

lu·bri·ca·tion, nounlu·bri·ca·tion·al, adjectivelu·bri·ca·tive, adjectivelu·bri·ca·to·ry

[loo-bri-kuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ˈlu brɪ kəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective

non·lu·bri·cat·ing, adjectiveo·ver·lu·bri·cate, verb (used with object), o·ver·lu·bri·cat·ed, o·ver·lu·bri·cat·ing.o·ver·lu·bri·ca·tion, nounre·lu·bri·cate, verb (used with object), re·lu·bri·cat·ed, re·lu·bri·cat·ing.re·lu·bri·ca·tion, nounself-lu·bri·cat·ed, adjectiveself-lu·bri·cat·ing, adjectiveself-lu·bri·ca·tion, nounun·lu·bri·cat·ed, adjectiveun·lu·bri·cat·ing, adjectiveun·lu·bri·ca·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lubricate

Beauty, fame, It Girl status, and old money (never new) all lubricate the entry process.
Inside London’s Hottest Celebrity Haunt—But How Long Will Chiltern Firehouse Burn?|Lizzie Crocker|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It secretes the tears destined to lubricate the anterior surface of the eye.
Special Report on Diseases of Cattle|U.S. Department of Agriculture
We shall find plenty of room for your facility; it will lubricate our whole existence.
The Bostonians, Vol. II (of II)|Henry James
When the pressure on the pin or any bearing is over 800 pounds per square inch, oil is no longer able to lubricate it properly.
Farm Engines and How to Run Them|James H. Stephenson

The indications are, to lubricate the mucous surfaces, remove morbific materials from the system, and improve the general health.
The American Reformed Cattle Doctor|George Dadd
Lubricate the two stop-cocks with resin ointment (Fig. 137).
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre

British Dictionary definitions for lubricate

lubricate

verb

(tr) to cover or treat with an oily or greasy substance so as to lessen friction

(tr) to make greasy, slippery, or smooth

(intr) to act as a lubricant

Derived Formslubrication, nounlubricational, adjectivelubricative, adjective

Word Origin for lubricate

C17: from Latin lūbricāre, from lūbricus slippery

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

Word Origin and History for lubricate

lubricate

1620s, "to make slippery or smooth" (especially by the application of an oil), from Latin lubricatus, past participle of lubricare "to make slippery or smooth," from lubricus "slippery" (see lubricant (adj.)). Related: Lubricated; lubricating. Earlier verb was lubrify (1610s), from Medieval Latin lubrificare.

lubricate

verb (used with object), lu·bri·cat·ed, lu·bri·cat·ing.

verb (used without object), lu·bri·cat·ed, lu·bri·cat·ing.

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Origin of lubricate

Examples from the Web for lubricate

lubricate

verb

Word Origin for lubricate

lubricate