(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Oil is a smooth, thick liquid that is used as a fuel and for making the parts of machines move smoothly. Oil is found underground.
The company buys and sells about 600,000 barrels of ~ a day.
...the rapid rise in prices for ~ and petrol.
...a small ~ lamp.
N-MASS
2.
If you ~ something, you put ~ onto or into it, for example to make it work smoothly or to protect it.
A crew of assistants ~ed and adjusted the release mechanism until it worked perfectly...
VERB: V n
3.
Oil is a smooth, thick liquid made from plants and is often used for cooking.
Combine the beans, chopped mint and olive ~ in a large bowl...
N-MASS: usu n N
4.
Oil is a smooth, thick liquid, often with a pleasant smell, that you rub into your skin or add to your bath.
Try a hot bath with some relaxing bath ~...
N-MASS: usu supp N
5.
Oils are ~ paintings .
Her colourful ~s and works on paper have a naive, dreamlike quality.
N-COUNT: usu pl
6.
When an artist paints in ~s, he or she uses ~ paints.
When she paints in ~s she always uses the same range of colours.
N-PLURAL
7.
see also castor ~ , crude ~ , olive ~
8.
If someone or something ~s the wheels of a process or system, they help things to run smoothly and successfully.
On all such occasions, the king stands in the wings, ~ing the wheels of diplomacy.
PHRASE: V inflects
9.
to burn the midnight ~: see midnight