oleaginous

[ oh-lee-aj-uh-nuhs ]

See synonyms for oleaginous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having the nature or qualities of oil.
containing oil.

producing oil.
unctuous; fawning; smarmy.

Origin of oleaginous

First recorded in 1425–50; Middle English oliaginose, (from Middle French oléagineux), from Latin oleāgineus, oleāginius, oleāginus “pertaining to an olive tree,” derivative of olea “olive, olive tree” (see origin at olive)

Other words from oleaginous

o·le·ag·i·nous·ness, noun

Words Nearby oleaginous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use oleaginous in a sentence

“You are a great man,” Arafat said, turning on his insincere, oleaginous charm.
Bibi's Right: Palestinian Rejectionism Threatens Peace | Gil Troy | May 3, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
It also gives it an oleaginous mouthfeel that I don't like in soup.
Your Friday Gadget Chef Recipe: Two Day Soup | Megan McArdle | November 9, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
She will almost never be praised in public except by oleaginous flatterers desperate for social advantage.
Kate's Royal Prison | Andrew Roberts | November 17, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
I really like that, as it was quite a change from the somewhat oleaginous British academic leadership.
Larry Summers' Brutal Brilliance | Niall Ferguson | September 22, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
Kissinger, at his oleaginous best, tries to reassure Nixon that, whatever the press says, the bombing achieved its intention.
He's Ba-a-a-ack! | Nicholas Wapshott | December 3, 2008 | THE DAILY BEAST

They are oleaginous, and nutritious; and are used as a substitute for almonds.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I | Arnold Cooley
A volatile oleaginous substance obtained by distillation from draco-cephalum Moldavicum.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I | Arnold Cooley
Because friction generates caloric, which volatises the oleaginous particles of the stearine matter.
Adventures and Enthusiasms | E. V. Lucas
In this caldron a seething sea of oleaginous liquid conceals an infinite variety of animal and vegetable substances.
In the Days of My Youth | Amelia Ann Blandford Edwards
The fruit of this plant (hemp seed) is demulcent and oleaginous.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I | Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for oleaginous

oleaginous

/ (ˌəʊlɪˈædʒɪnəs) /

adjective

resembling or having the properties of oil
containing or producing oil

Origin of oleaginous

C17: from Latin oleāginus, from olea olive; see also oil

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

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