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train oil

American  

noun

  1. oil obtained from the blubber of whales or from seals, walruses, or other marine animals.


train oil British  

noun

  1. oil obtained from the blubber of various marine animals, esp the whale

"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 train oil

1545–55; earlier trane < Dutch traan train oil, tear; cognate with German Träne tear

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.

See Examples For:

So I’m curious, since you have drilling experience: Do you think it’s easier to train oil drillers to be astronauts or to train astronauts to be drillers?

From The Verge Dec. 7, 2021

So, he took his winnings and formed a company to train oil and gas professionals in various aspects of the trade.

From Forbes Aug. 1, 2011

At the outside of the dwelling-house are separate buildings, for store-houses, in which the inhabitants lay up their stock of provisions, train oil, and other useful articles.

From Travels in North America, From Modern Writers With Remarks and Observations; Exhibiting a Connected View of the Geography and Present State of that Quarter of the Globe by Bingley, William

Each tent contained an inner sleeping-room of deerskin, which was lighted and warmed by lamps of train oil.

From From Pole to Pole A Book for Young People by Hedin, Sven Anders

The product of the whale fishery in that year was 1,485,000 gallons of sperm oil, 2,065,612 gallons of train oil, and 901,000 pounds of whalebone.

From The Earth as Modified by Human Action by Marsh, George P.

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