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tung oil

American  
[tuhng] / tʌŋ /

noun

  1. a yellow drying oil derived from the seeds of a tung tree, Aleurites fordii, used in varnishes, linoleum, etc.


tung oil British  
/ tʌŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: Chinese wood oil.  a fast-drying oil obtained from the seeds of a central Asian euphorbiaceous tree, Aleurites fordii , used in paints, varnishes, etc, as a drying agent and to give a water-resistant finish

"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 tung oil

1880–85; tung < Chinese tóng tung tree

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.

This was where the tung oil plant was.

From Washington Times • Apr. 11, 2015

The floors, made of random-width pumpkin pine, have been hand-sanded and finished with tung oil.

From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2010

If you want the darker color that tung oil would create, he suggests using Lithofin MN Colour Intensifier, which is also a penetrating sealer, rather than the basic version.

From Washington Post

Dehydrated castor oil is the best available substitute for tung oil, formerly imported from China for use in inks, paint, varnish, linoleum, lubricants, etc.

From Time Magazine Archive

This oil is made by heating the raw tung oil at a comparatively low temperature with other oils and a metallic drier such as litharge.

From Paint Technology and Tests by Gardner, Henry A.

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