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.
I’ve seen oil slicks that were more interesting than “Digger.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
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
The threat to desalination plants posed by missiles or possible oil slicks should also not be underestimated.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
It is sealed against chemical attacks, and it can even use oil slicks to fend off trouble.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2023
In the night, you couldn’t even see the oil slicks on the water.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
