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

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

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 Gould, John Mead

Let it receive as much neat's-foot oil as it will take.

From The Ladies Book of Useful Information Compiled from many sources by Anonymous