noun
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a person who owns or operates oil wells
-
a person who makes or sells oil
Gender
See -man.
Etymology
Origin of oilman
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at oil, man
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.
He is a respected, successful oilman who for years was U.S. shale’s de facto leader.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
But what is opportunity to one oilman is “uninvestable” to another.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026
The Texas oilman asked Charles for a price.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2024
He’s an oilman who invested in environmentally questionable projects; she’s a climate scientist.
From New York Times • May 30, 2024
“After all,” one oilman reasoned, “we’re just another Middle East war away from another boom.”
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
