oilcan

American

[oil-kan] / ˈɔɪlˌkæn /

noun

a can having a long spout through which oil is poured or squirted to lubricate machinery or the like.

oilcan British

/ ˈɔɪlˌkæn /

noun

a container with a long nozzle for applying lubricating oil to machinery

"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

Etymology

Origin of oilcan

First recorded in 1830–40; oil + can ²

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.

Later, there’s a quick cut to a farmer pouring from an oilcan into a doghouse with such purpose on his face that you don’t ask questions.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2013

"The man with the oilcan," top Allied leaders called him.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bill and Bob started diving as kids in the farm's pond using an oilcan for a helmet and a bicycle pump and a hose for air.

From Time Magazine Archive

"The oilcan is mightier than the sword," he believed.

From Time Magazine Archive

Her animal calls could fool even Dr. Westminster, and her creaky-door noise would set anyone running for an oilcan.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023