1A viscous liquid derived from petroleum, especially for use as a fuel or lubricant.

1. 1.1Petroleum.
   ‘400 birds were coated with oil which spilled out from an opened valve’
   More example sentences

   • ‘the oil industry’
   • ‘On August 5 a boat collided with the oil tanker causing more than 85 tons of oil to spill into the river and coastal wetlands.’
   • ‘House wants to stick us with the tab for prolonging our destructive dependence on fossil fuels, foreign oil and dangerous nuclear technology.’
   • ‘In 1912, a small economic boom was fueled by drilling for oil, but it was short-lived.’
   • ‘The union wants Government to do away with middlemen in the procurement of crude oil to avoid unnecessary fuel price increases.’
   • ‘Although Iran exports oil, fuel for use in homes is not always available.’
   • ‘When we come back, oil is fueling an economic boom in Equatorial Guinea.’
   • ‘The two giants have put aside their differences and have decided that as oil runs out, fuel cells are the way forward.’
   • ‘Western civilization is now predicated on oil and the plastics derived from it.’
   • ‘The State more than pays its way through income derived from oil, commercial fishing, tourism, mining and logging.’
   • ‘Our economy depends so much on fossil fuel that a lack of oil without any alternative fuel sources would lead to total chaos.’
   • ‘Although often simplified as a religious war, the conflict is also fueled by competition for oil, land and other resources.’
   • ‘Today, high-tech machinery extracts the oil in minutes.’
   • ‘It takes a long time to extract oil under any conditions.’
   • ‘She also goes in search of fossil fuels and manages to extract oil from the local shale.’
   • ‘Essentially, you are selling a depleting resource, and once the oil is extracted from your land, no more will follow.’
   • ‘Taken together, these factors will increase the cost of refining oil.’
   • ‘Perhaps the most impressive feat was refining the oil to run vehicles.’
   • ‘It is unusual to drill an oil well without a paleontologist onsite to determine when the desired oil-bearing rock layer has been reached.’
   • ‘On the way home, their plane flies above a ship spilling oil into the sea.’
   • ‘If the railroad supervisor was negligent in overseeing the independent contractor who accidentally spilled oil into a river, whatever harm resulted should have been addressed in a civil proceeding.’
2. 1.2with modifier Any of various viscous liquids which are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents and are obtained from animals or plants.
   ‘potatoes fried in vegetable oil’
   More example sentences

   • ‘The last group includes energy food, including animal and plant oil, starch and wine.’
   • ‘Three bottles of high quality essential oils infused into pure, skin-softening organic apricot kernel oil.’
   • ‘Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that can be made out of anything from organic canola oil to used cooking grease from fast-food restaurants.’
   • ‘Vitamin A is present in animal tissue, mainly in liver, fish oil, egg yolks, butter, and cheese.’
   • ‘Finally, Bell was to try adding flaxseed oil and other healthy plant oils daily to her food.’
   • ‘I can fill a tooth temporarily with zinc oxide and clove oil if the dentist is out of town.’
   • ‘Treat with applications of cider vinegar over the affected area, or apply a fungicide made by dissolving one part tea tree oil in ten parts water.’
   • ‘The one exception to the blockade against animal fat is fish oil.’
   • ‘The pouring of pure water scented with jasmine oil washes away worries.’
   • ‘Billy has been researching organic repellent using the oil of the neem trees he has planted around the gardens.’
   • ‘The cheddar made from animals fed on sunflower oil contained almost 2.5 times the amount of the nutrient than that made from cows fed a normal diet.’
   • ‘After being steamed on water with light soybean oil, spring onion and ginger, the fish is bland and delicate.’
   • ‘The strong fragrance of the special Japanese soybean oil made our mouth water and left us addicted to the cuisine.’
   • ‘Add the sunflower oil and enough water to form a supple dough.’
   • ‘The most abundant sources of industrial fatty acids are coconut oil, palm oil, and soybean oil.’
   • ‘It's just a matter of having the right type of fat - olive oil or canola oil instead of lard or butter.’
   • ‘These lamps, which are traditionally fueled by mustard oil, are placed in rows in windows, doors and outside buildings to decorate them.’
   • ‘Hemp oil largely replacing petroleum could mean the end of tanker disasters at sea which cause loss of life to seabirds and other marine organisms.’
   • ‘A former theatre boss is setting up a factory to turn used cooking oil into eco-friendly fuel for cars.’
   • ‘It is a subject that clearly fires him and he delves enthusiastically into the process of applying for landing slots and the use of cooking oil as a fuel.’
3. 1.3A liquid preparation used on the hair or skin as a cosmetic.
   ‘suntan oil’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Coal tar is available as an ointment, cream, lotion, shampoo, bath oil and soap.’
   • ‘These substances include soap film, body secretions, skin, hair, bath oils, and dirt.’
   • ‘You can use soap substitutes, bath oils and moisturising creams or ointments to soothe, smooth and hydrate the skin in the treatment of dry skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.’
   • ‘I laid my towel down and rubbed suntan lotion onto my skin and bronzing oil onto my legs.’
   • ‘The fashion of tanned skin was born in the twenties, when sun tan oil was first sold.’
   • ‘He strode over to Katrina's back and engulfed her in a hug, inhaling the scent of her hair and bath oils.’
   • ‘Those with very dry skin need to apply oil afterwards.’
   • ‘The only thing missing was the Gipper's slicked back do, all Grecian formula and hair oil.’
   • ‘If you have relaxed hair, it can look greasy from too much wax or hair oil.’
   • ‘This year I included a facemask, massage oil and hair treatments!’
   • ‘You even get some Aveda shampoo to wash the massage oil out of your hair.’
   • ‘In the grainy black and white photo I can still make out the sheen of A.'s hair oil and the way he slicked his dark locks back on the sides.’
   • ‘Bath oils and oil-rich hair wax and face masks will be most effective at the time of the waxing moon, while detoxifying products such as seaweed wraps and sea-salt baths are best when the moon is waning.’
   • ‘She always wore Joop Berlin and The Body Shop Dewberry oil.’
   Synonyms

   oil, ointment, lotion, cream

   View synonyms
4. 1.4Chemistry count noun Any of a group of natural esters of glycerol and various fatty acids, which are liquid at room temperature.
   Compare with fat
   ‘Many naturally occurring fats and oils consist of esters.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Included among these compounds are acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, and numerous other esters and fusel oils.’
   • ‘They are chemical compounds which belong to the ‘fatty acid esters’ compounds of an oil and an alcohol.’
   • ‘Methanolic sodium methoxide efficiently transesterified the fats and oils on the feathers to fatty-acid methyl esters.’
   • ‘Glycerin is a thick liquid with a sweet taste that is found in fats and oils and is the primary triglyceride found in coconut and olive oil.’

2often oilsOil paint.

1. 2.1count noun An oil painting.
   ‘a dark discoloured oil of an elderly cleric’
   More example sentences

   • ‘These oils on canvas rework that fulcrum of modernist painting, the grid.’
   • ‘This remarkably representative exhibits of 42 oils and gouaches from that later period suggest why.’
   • ‘The company deals in originals, oils, acrylics, watercolors and serigraphs.’
   • ‘Luan Nel, occupying most of the space at the Goodman, shows an extensive body of oils and watercolours on paper and canvas.’
   • ‘The surfaces of the oils on linen and canvas are as smooth as television cartoons.’
   • ‘The galleries feature original oils, watercolors, limited-edition serigraphs, lithographs and sculpture.’
   • ‘One of Johannes Vermeer's most enigmatic oils, this painting was not even attributed to him when it entered the Royal Collection in 1762.’
   • ‘This offering boasted major works by Reynolds and Millais together with an oil and a watercolour by Turner.’
   • ‘Canadian war artists, commissioned and attached to units of all three services, produced a splendid array of oils, water-colours, and sketches.’
   • ‘If originals are desired but the budget is tight, consider original oils on canvas over works on paper.’
   • ‘Wouldn't it be better to display them with the oils on canvas?’
   • ‘Oil paintings sell for more money so it is reasonable to expect that the reproductions of oils on canvas will sell better, too.’
   • ‘Both are relatively small oils on canvas that lampoon those who grasp and fawn over power and wealth.’
   • ‘In the late oils and watercolors, he seemed to seek out the inner pulse of existence.’
   • ‘Bolton Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of oils, watercolours and prints of the Lancashire landscape, from the sea to the windswept moors.’
   • ‘Local landmarks feature strongly in the line-up of watercolours, oils and acrylics on show from Saturday, December 6 to 12.’
   • ‘She has put together a collection of oils depicting how light transforms everything in the vast open space of the desert.’
   • ‘Wilson Gallery is the sole representative of Machado's original oils and sculptures in North America.’
   • ‘Smirnov creates original oils and limited edition serigraphs that are sold all over the world.’
   • ‘Thereafter, Hunt painted only the occasional oil, concentrating on watercolour, of which he was to become a master technician.’

3Australian, New Zealand informal Information or facts.

1Lubricate, coat, or impregnate with oil.

2Supply with oil as fuel.