grease
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
grease/ɡriːs/
▶noun
- 1 a thick oily substance, especially as used as a lubricant.
- 2 animal fat used or produced in cooking.
– phrases
grease the palm of informal bribe. [grease expressing the sense ‘cause to run smoothly’ and palm, by assoc. with the taking of money.]
grease the wheels (also the skids) informal, chiefly N. Amer. another way of saying oil the wheels (see oil).
like greased lightning informal extremely rapidly.
grease the palm of informal bribe. [grease expressing the sense ‘cause to run smoothly’ and palm, by assoc. with the taking of money.]
grease the wheels (also the skids) informal, chiefly N. Amer. another way of saying oil the wheels (see oil).
like greased lightning informal extremely rapidly.
– derivatives
greaseless adjective.
greaseless adjective.
– origin ME: from OFr. graisse, based on L. crassus ‘thick, fat’.
'grease' also found in these Oxford entries:
antimacassar
- Conté
- cresset
- degrease
- dry
- dub
- dubbin
- elbow grease
- French chalk
- grease gun
- grease monkey
- greaseproof
- greasy
- greasy pole
- gun
- liquor
- lubricant
- lubricate
- lubricious
- schmear
- sebum
- smear
- suint
