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oiler

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

From Middle English oyler, equivalent to oil +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

Noun

oiler (plural oilers)

  2. One who or that which oils.
    1. An assistant in the engine room of a ship, senior only to a wiper, mainly responsible for keeping machinery lubricated.
    2. Any of various automatic devices for oiling pneumatic tools or other tools.
  4. (nautical) An oil tanker.
    Hypernyms: ship < vessel
    Coordinate terms: collier, coaler
    • 2025 June 4, Andy Rose, “Gay rights icon Harvey Milk’s legacy slighted by decision to rename Navy ship”, in CNN‎:
      The order to rename the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk – christened four years ago – is unusual but is in line with the White House mandate to reverse a number of military initiatives by Democratic presidents.
  6. Synonym of oilcan.
    1. (firearms) A small (typically thumb-sized) metal container of oil, often containing an integral brush.
  8. Synonym of oil well.
  10. (informal) An oilskin coat.
  12. (US, ethnic slur) A Mexican.
    Near-synonym: greaser
    • 1907, Stewart Edward White, chapter 4, in Arizona Nights‎:
      There were a lot of renegades down towards the Mexican line who made a raid once in a while, and a few oilers livin' near had water holes in the foothills, […]
  14. (slang, derogatory) A sycophant, which is someone who is oily (smarmy).
    • 2007, Mike Donaldson, Scott Poynting, Ruling Class Men: Money, Sex, Power, page 36:
      He also said that it was just as difficult to make friends at Cheam School and at Cambridge because he couldn't be sure who 'genuinely liked him' and who were 'trying to suck up' to him because of who he was — 'oilers', Princess Diana once called such people.
  16. (slang) A heavy drinker; especially, an alcoholic.

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