oil slick
noun
a smooth area on the surface of water caused by the presence of oil.
oil slicks
-
pluralof oil slick.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Large stretches of the island's shoreline appear affected and "additional oil slicks extend far out to sea, further polluting and damaging this protected marine ecosystem", Noelle said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
On local Telegram chat groups, people shared photos of oil slicks in the sea, black puddles on the road and stray animals covered in oily droplets.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
The threat to desalination plants posed by missiles or possible oil slicks should also not be underestimated.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
Dong hopes that exposing the vast extent of human-related oil slicks will inspire international cooperation to better protect marine environments, particularly along coastlines—and not only in terms of oil pollution.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 16, 2022
The floor was a gritty cement and gravel mix, sticky in places, spotted with what looked like oil slicks.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
