oil
verb/ɔɪl/
/ɔɪl/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they oil | /ɔɪl/ /ɔɪl/ |
| he / she / it oils | /ɔɪlz/ /ɔɪlz/ |
| past simple oiled | /ɔɪld/ /ɔɪld/ |
| past participle oiled | /ɔɪld/ /ɔɪld/ |
| -ing form oiling | /ˈɔɪlɪŋ/ /ˈɔɪlɪŋ/ |
- oil something to put oil onto or into something, for example a machine, in order to protect it or make it work smoothly
- He oiled his bike and pumped up the tyres.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Northern French olie, Old French oile, from Latin oleum ‘(olive) oil’; compare with olea ‘olive’.Definitions on the go
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Idioms
See oil in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryoil the wheels (British English)
(North American English grease the wheels)
- to help something to happen easily and without problems, especially in business or politics
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oil