whale oil

noun

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

whale oil

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of whale oil¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

Two whale oil lamps cast a dim light.

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“It was a tinderbox,” Godfrey said, filled with steam-driven spinning machines that covered the floors with a combustible dust — in rooms lit by windows and candlelight, on machines lubricated by whale oil.

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The industry was in high demand as Americans had begun to rely on whale oil as fuel for lamps, ingredients for soap, and lubricants for everything from guns to typewriters to machinery.

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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.

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

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