whale oil

American  

noun

1. oil rendered from whale blubber, formerly widely used as a fuel for lamps and for making soap and candles.

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whale oil British  

noun

1. oil obtained either from the blubber of whales (train oil) or the head of the sperm whale (sperm oil)

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Etymology

Origin of whale oil

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

At some point the mill managers discovered that washing the raw fiber in a mixture of 90 percent water and 10 percent whale oil made raw jute less likely to snag in fast-moving machinery.

From Washington Post • Sep. 30, 2022

Demand for whale oil dropped when petroleum, which had begun to supplant it around the mid-19th century, gained popularity.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2022

In the 1870s, petroleum began to replace whale oil as a fuel.

From Salon • Aug. 13, 2022

Hunter summed up the contrast with the horrified observation that the whale oil rendered from the whale carcasses being winched up the stern slipway would go to lubricate intercontinental missiles.

From Slate • Jun. 4, 2022

Any message we receive from them is likely to begin "Dear Sire," and congratulate us on the handsomeness of our horses and our mastery of whale oil.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson