grease

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: rendered animal fat
b
: oily matter
c
: a thick lubricant
2
: wool as it comes from the sheep retaining the natural oils or fats
greaseless adjective
greaseproof adjective

grease

2 of 2

verb

greased; greasing

transitive verb

1
: to smear or daub with grease
2
: to lubricate with grease
3
: to soil with grease
4
: to hasten the process or progress of
also : facilitate
Phrases
in the grease
of wool or fur : in the natural uncleaned condition
grease the hand of or grease the palm of
: bribe

Examples of grease in a Sentence

Verb Grease the pan before you put the cake batter in. make sure you grease the pan before you put the batter in
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Best of all, it can be used on extensions as well as medium to thick and long hair, since its bristle and nylon point tip blend detangles and spreads out oils, serving as your grease and frizz shield. Chelsea Avila, Allure, 19 Oct. 2024 Volatile organic compounds are a broad category of chemicals –– some of which are naturally occurring, some helpful in dissolving dirt, grease and stains, Sansoni said. Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
Verb
Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet with additional butter as needed. Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2024 Lightly grease a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Darcy Lenz, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grease 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English grese, from Anglo-French gresse, greisse, creisse, from Vulgar Latin *crassia, from Latin crassus fat

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grease was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near grease

Cite this Entry

“Grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grease. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

grease

1 of 2 noun
1
: melted animal fat
2
: oily matter
3
: a thick lubricant

grease

2 of 2 verb
greased; greasing
1
: to smear with grease
2
: to lubricate with grease
greaser noun

More from Merriam-Webster on grease

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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