oil

oil is on the Basic English 850 List.

office - oil - old

Pronunciation

• enPR: oil, IPA ^(key): /ɔɪl/
• SAMPA: /OIl/

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Noun

Singular oil

Plural oils

1. (countable & uncountable) Oil is a liquid that is burned to create heat or used in machines to make them run well.
   • Synonym: petroleum

   Gas and oil are essential to running a car.

2. (countable & uncountable) Oil is a liquid made of fat that is used for cooking.
   • Synonym: grease

   Cook the potatoes in oil.

3. (countable) An oil is a painting made of oil paint.

Related words

• castor oil
• cooking oil
• crude oil
• motor oil
• oilcan
• oilskin
• oily
• olive oil

Verb

Plain form oil

Third-person singular oils

Past tense oiled

Past participle oiled

Present participle oiling

1. (transitive) If you oil something, you put clear oil on a machine to make it run well.
   • Synonyms: grease and lubricate

   She oiled the parts of the gun.

Related words

• oiler