oil
n. C / Un. a thick liquid used for cooking food or making machines work smoothly. It can come from plants, like olives, or from deep underground.
n. a viscous, neutral, nonpolar chemical substance that is hydrophobic and lipophilic. Refers to both edible lipids and mineral-based lubricants or fuels.
Add a little olive oil to the pan before cooking.
The mechanic checked the engine oil to ensure the car was safe for the long trip.
Global markets reacted sharply to the news of the supply disruption, causing the price of crude oil to fluctuate significantly throughout the trading day.
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.
From Middle English oilen, oylen, from the noun (see above).
Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to specific types or varieties.