neat's-foot oil

American  

[neets-foot] / ˈnitsˌfʊt /

noun

1. a pale-yellow fixed oil made by boiling the feet and shinbones of cattle, used chiefly as a dressing for leather.

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neat's-foot oil British  

noun

1. a yellow fixed oil obtained by boiling the feet and shinbones of cattle and used esp to dress leather

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Etymology

Origin of neat's-foot oil

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neat's-foot oil

It was tangy and slick, like a dirty Martini, with a whiff of neat’s-foot oil.

From The New Yorker ● Apr. 4, 2016

They want to stop and smell the neat's-foot oil.

From Time Magazine Archive

His lined, leathery face is as supple as if treated daily with neat's-foot oil.

From Time Magazine Archive

Near our own pump there is a glass preserving jar half full of neat's-foot oil and, pickling in it, a spare set of pump leathers just waiting for something to happen.

From If You're Going to Live in the Country by Frank Lieberman

Whatever you wear, break them in well, and oil the tops thoroughly with neat's-foot oil before you start; and see that there are no nails, either in sight or partly covered, to cut your feet.

From How to Camp Out by John Mead Gould