oily

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   coated or covered with oil

   oily puddles in the streets

2. 2
   adj

   Covered with or containing oil.

   oily machinery;   oily rags;   oily fish;   oily cooking

3. 3
   adj

   Resembling oil.

   oily swells;   oily seas

4. 4
   adj

   Excessively friendly or polite but insincere.

   Near-synonyms: slick, buttery; smarmy

5. 5
   noun

   A marble with an oily lustre.

   Lustered (also called lusters, rainbows, oilies, and pearls).

6. 6
   adj

   smeared or soiled with grease or oil

7. 7
   adj

   containing an unusual amount of grease or oil

8. 8
   adj

   unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech

Etymology

From Middle English oylei, equivalent to oil + -y. Compare German ölig (“oily”), Swedish oljig (“oily”).