sperm oil
nounChemistry.
a yellow, thin, water-insoluble liquid obtained from the sperm whale, used chiefly as a lubricant in light machinery, as watches, clocks, and scientific apparatus.
Origin of sperm oil
1First recorded in 1820–30
Words Nearby sperm oil
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sperm oil in a sentence
sperm oil is the best known of all the lubricants and is, for general purposes, one of the most excellent.
Friction, Lubrication and the Lubricants in Horology | William T. Lewissperm oil is the purest and best of all varieties of whale oil, and brings the highest price in the market.
The Arctic Whaleman | Lewis Holmes
British Dictionary definitions for sperm oil
sperm oil
noun
an oil obtained from the head of the sperm whale, used as a lubricant
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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