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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

Army Signal Corps team had installed a White House telephone near by; it had been left on an upturned yellow oilcan.

From Time Magazine Archive

Up to this year, only 33 wells have been drilled on the island, and production is still only a drop in the oilcan compared with Cuba's daily consumption of 50,000 bbls.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

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