ooze

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a soft deposit (as of mud, slime, or shells) on the bottom of a body of water
The turtle buried itself in the ooze.
2
: a piece of soft wet plastic ground : a marsh or bog that results from the flow of a spring, stream, or brooklet

ooze

2 of 3

verb

oozed; oozing

intransitive verb

1
: to pass or flow slowly through or as if through small openings or interstices
2
: to move slowly or imperceptibly
the crowd began to ooze forwardBruce Marshall
3
a
: to exude moisture
b
: to exude something often in a faintly repellent manner
ooze with sympathy

transitive verb

1
: to emit slowly
2
: exude sense 2
ooze confidence

ooze

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a decoction of vegetable material used for tanning leather
2
: the act of oozing
3
: something that oozes

Examples of ooze in a Sentence

Verb Sap oozed from the tree. Juice oozed out of the plum. The cut on her finger was oozing with blood. The tree was oozing sap. The cut on her finger was oozing blood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
More:State regulators order response for corrosive ooze near former McLouth site Just before the demolitions, DTE said vehicle and pedestrian traffic would be briefly stopped on nearby Grosse Ile Parkway and West Jefferson Avenue. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 9 Feb. 2024 Inside, the simple, 11- by 19-foot converted garage oozes with artistic depth. Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 As salmon cooks, the protein albumin oozes from the flesh and solidifies, forming white streaks on your fish. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024 Some breasts ooze drops of milk that morph into strings of pearls. Zoë Lescaze, New York Times, 16 May 2023 The sisters’ sadness is scarcely externalized, but the creeping ooze of their despair pervades every frame, including a striking shot of a wooden crucifix with a pink lacy bra slung across it to dry. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 After nearly five hours, the craft landed on the bottom, stirring up silt and ooze and clouding the small porthole. William J. Broad, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 The gummy ooze was poured in molds and stored until most of its water had evaporated. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 8 June 2023 The bulky desktop computers, cropped tops, and low-rise pants ooze late-90s/early-2000s energy. Brittany Natale, ELLE, 26 July 2023
Verb
Spackle the back of the mesh, press it in place, then use a putty knife to smooth the spackle that oozes through and remove excess, but not so much as to keep the mesh from being fully embedded. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Snappy, shimmering jalapeño sausages ooze with molten cheese. Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024 In a scene seemingly straight from a disaster flick, lava oozed into the city. Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 This time, infernal matter oozed out of a 3,000-foot-long crack that emerged near one of the protective walls to the town’s north, which managed to deflect the lava. Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 Imagine 25 acres of sprawling vineyards, a quaint farm atmosphere, and an industrial-chic winery oozing with vintage charm. Branded Content Contributor, Orange County Register, 8 Jan. 2024 Your body, which oozed and groaned under the yoke of illness, is now a perfectly humming machine. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 The oozing cheese, lacy edges, and golden buns are everywhere. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2024 Nigerian actress Temi Otedola oozed the mystery of a film noir femme fatale in a floor-length black coat, tightly cinched with the lacy hint of a negligee peeking out beneath. Ian Malone, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ooze.' 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 (1)

Middle English wose, from Old English wāse mire; akin to Old Norse veisa stagnant water

Verb

Middle English wosen, from wose sap

Noun (2)

Middle English wose sap, juice, from Old English wōs; akin to Old High German waso damp

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ooze was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ooze

Cite this Entry

“Ooze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ooze. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ooze

1 of 3 noun
: soft mud or slime (as on the bottom of a lake)

ooze

2 of 3 verb
oozed; oozing
1
: to flow or leak slowly
sap oozed from the tree
2
: emit sense 1a
a manner that oozed confidence

ooze

3 of 3 noun
: something that oozes

More from Merriam-Webster on ooze

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