oil (oils plural & 3rd person present) (oiling present participle) (oiled past tense & past participle )
1 n-mass Oil is a smooth, thick liquid that is used as a fuel and for making the parts of machines move smoothly. Oil is found underground.
The company buys and sells about 600,000 barrels of oil a day., ...the rapid rise in prices for oil and petrol., ...a small oil lamp.
2 verb If you oil something, you put oil onto or into it, for example to make it work smoothly or to protect it.
A crew of assistants oiled and adjusted the release mechanism until it worked perfectly... V n
3 n-mass Oil is a smooth, thick liquid made from plants and is often used for cooking.
usu n N
Combine the beans, chopped mint and olive oil in a large bowl...
4 n-mass Oil is a smooth, thick liquid, often with a pleasant smell, that you rub into your skin or add to your bath.
usu supp N
Try a hot bath with some relaxing bath oil...
5 n-count Oils are oil paintings.
usu pl
Her colourful oils and works on paper have a naive, dreamlike quality.
6 n-plural When an artist paints in oils, he or she uses oil paints.
When she paints in oils she always uses the same range of colours.
7
→
castor oil
→
crude oil
→
olive oil
8 If someone or something oils the wheels of a process or system, they help things to run smoothly and successfully.
oil the wheels phrase V inflects
On all such occasions, the king stands in the wings, oiling the wheels of diplomacy.
9 →
to burn the midnight oil →
midnight
castor oil
Castor oil is a thick yellow oil that is obtained from the seeds of the castor oil plant. It has a very unpleasant taste and in former times was used as a medicine. n-uncount
cod-liver oil , cod liver oil
Cod liver oil is a thick yellow oil which is given as a medicine, especially to children, because it is full of vitamins A and D. n-uncount
crude oil
Crude oil is oil in its natural state before it has been processed or refined. n-uncount
linseed oil
Linseed oil is an oil made from seeds of the flax plant. It is used to make paints and inks, or to rub into wooden surfaces to protect them. n-uncount
oil-fired
Oil-fired heating systems and power stations use oil as a fuel. adj ADJ n
...an oil-fired furnace.
oil paint (oil paints plural )Oil paint is a thick paint used by artists. It is made from coloured powder and linseed oil. n-uncount also N in pl
oil painting (oil paintings plural )An oil painting is a picture which has been painted using oil paints. n-count
Several magnificent oil paintings adorn the walls.
oil pan (oil pans plural )An oil pan is the place under an engine which holds the engine oil.
(mainly AM) n-count
in BRIT, usually use sump
oil platform (oil platforms plural )An oil platform is a structure that is used when getting oil from the ground under the sea. n-count
oil rig (oil rigs plural )An oil rig is a structure on land or in the sea that is used when getting oil from the ground. n-count
oil slick (oil slicks plural )An oil slick is a layer of oil that is floating on the sea or on a lake because it has accidentally come out of a ship or container. n-count
The oil slick is now 35 miles long.
oil tanker (oil tankers plural )An oil tanker is a ship that is used for transporting oil. n-count
oil well (oil wells plural )An oil well is a deep hole which is made in order to get oil out of the ground. n-count
olive oil (olive oils plural )Olive oil is oil that is obtained by pressing olives. It is used for putting on salads or in cooking. n-mass
palm oil
Palm oil is a yellow oil which comes from the fruit of certain palm trees and is used in making soap and sometimes as a fat in cooking. n-uncount
