oil

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A thick liquid from plants or animals used in cooking.

   Heat some oil in the pan before adding the vegetables.

2. 2
   noun

   A dark liquid found underground and used as fuel and for making products.

   The country earns most of its money from oil.

3. 3
   verb

   To put oil on something to make it work smoothly.

   You should oil the door hinge to stop it squeaking.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Oil entered English in the Middle English period and goes back to Latin oleum, which referred especially to olive oil.

From Middle English oyle, oile (“olive oil”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman olie, from Latin oleum (“oil, olive oil”), from Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (élaion, “olive oil”), from ἐλαία (elaía, “olive”). Compare Proto-Slavic *lojь. More at olive. Doublet of oleum. Supplanted Middle English ele (“oil”), from Old English ele (“oil”), also from Latin.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary