oil Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water
noun oil paint containing pigment that is used by an artist
oil color; oil colour.
noun a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons
crude oil; fossil oil; petroleum; crude; rock oil.
noun any of a group of liquid edible fats that are obtained from plants
vegetable oil.
verb cover with oil, as if by rubbing
- oil the wooden surface
verb administer an oil or ointment to; often in a religious ceremony of blessing
anele; inunct; anoint; embrocate.

OE. oile, OF. oile, F. huile, fr. L. oleum; akin to Gr. . Cf. Olive.

Any one of a great variety of unctuous combustible substances, not miscible with water; as, olive oil, whale oil, rock oil, etc. They are of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin and of varied composition, and they are variously used for food, for solvents, for anointing, lubrication, illumination, etc. By extension, any substance of an oily consistency; as, oil of vitriol. ✍ The mineral oils are varieties of petroleum. See Petroleum. The vegetable oils are of two classes, essential oils (see under Essential), and natural oils which in general resemble the animal oils and fats. Most of the natural oils and the animal oils and fats consist of ethereal salts of glycerin, with a large number of organic acids, principally stearic, oleic, and palmitic, forming respectively stearin, olein, and palmitin. Stearin and palmitin prevail in the solid oils and fats, and olein in the liquid oils. Mutton tallow, beef tallow, and lard are rich in stearin, human fat and palm oil in palmitin, and sperm and cod-liver oils in olein. In making soaps, the acids leave the glycerin and unite with the soda or potash.

imperfect & past participle Oiled ; present participle & verbal noun Oiling