grease

noun

\ ˈgrēs

Definition of grease

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : rendered animal fat

b : oily matter

c : a thick lubricant

2 : wool as it comes from the sheep retaining the natural oils or fats

in the grease

of wool or fur : in the natural uncleaned condition

grease

verb

\ ˈgrēs

, ˈgrēz

greased; greasing

Definition of grease (Entry 2 of 2)

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

grease the hand of or grease the palm of

: bribe

Other Words from grease Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about grease

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for grease

Synonyms: Verb

lubricate, oil, slick, wax

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

Apply a thin film of high-temp brake grease to any sliding surfaces. — Mike Allen, Popular Mechanics, "How to Fix Squeaky Brakes," 14 Mar. 2019 Then, run a hot-water cycle, which will help wash away grease and grime in the machine. — Maya Mcdowell, House Beautiful, "You Should Be Cleaning Your Dishwasher Once a Month—Here's How," 15 Feb. 2019 The bags were smeared with grease to ward off drug-sniffing dogs, and workers poured 2 inches of oil to the bottom of the train car to deter U.S. inspectors from stepping inside. — Nicole Hong, WSJ, "What El Chapo’s Trial Revealed: The Inner Workings of a $14 Billion Drug Empire," 12 Feb. 2019 Etching and lithography, which (respectively) use a metal plate and a combination of grease and water to create prints, are the original printmaking methods. — Morgan Smith, chicagotribune.com, "Spudnik Press Cooperative hosts first annual Chicago Print Crawl this Sunday," 22 June 2018 One section involves various pieces of paper and board covered with red grease, adding a striking color note. — Phyllis Tuchman, New York Times, "Dorothea Rockburne’s Ephemeral Art and Enduring Legacy," 4 May 2018 Then, wash the car, removing any surface contaminants such as dirt, grease, and road grime. — Anthony Alaniz, Popular Mechanics, "How to Paint a Car," 4 Feb. 2019 For streak and spot-free glass, spritz on a glass or grease-cutting multi-purpose cleaner like Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean an Oven Quickly and Painlessly," 18 Dec. 2018 The company operates a grease trap maintenance business on an adjacent property. — Karen Huppertz, ajc, "Lawrenceville approves parking plan," 12 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The moves are meant to grease the financial system, ease worries about trouble at banks and keep them providing loans to people and businesses. — Suzan Fraser, The Seattle Times, "Turkey tries to contain crisis but currency keeps falling," 14 Aug. 2018 In one alleged violation, senior managers at an international Beam unit agreed to pay an Indian official about $18,000 -- the cost of 1,000 standard whiskey bottles in the U.S. -- to grease the approval process for a new product back in 2011. — Ben Bain, chicagotribune.com, "Jim Beam to pay $8 million SEC fine amid allegations of bribing Indian government officials," 3 July 2018 Spread batter in greased 13-inch by 9-inch pan; sprinkle with topping. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Great-Grannie's Old Fashioned Coffee Cake," 3 Sep. 2015 Spray a 9-by-9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray (or grease with butter), and coat with flour. — Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, "Sawyer’s Julio Avila re-imagines his grandmother’s beloved tres leches cake recipe — with an extra burst of ‘milk’," 29 Jan. 2019 So, to grease the fertility wheels, a number of women are turning (back about three millennia) to acupuncture. — Kristen Dold, Marie Claire, "Could Acupuncture Get You Pregnant?," 18 Sep. 2017 Is that the message Ms. Harris thinks will grease her way to the nomination? — Karl Rove, WSJ, "The Weirdness of American Politics," 23 Jan. 2019 In contrast to many of her peers who attained high office, Mrs. May shows little appetite for the glad-handing and backslapping that greases the wheels of British political life. — Max Colchester, WSJ, "Theresa May’s Tough Line Scores Points but Clouds Brexit Path," 15 Jan. 2019 With a second Supreme Court nominee riding greased skids to Senate confirmation, the economy zooming and Democrats generally in a hopeless, angry mode, the summer of 2018 was shaping up rather well for Republicans. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump scores on his own goal," 16 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.