grease

noun \ ˈgrēs \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of grease

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

play \ˈgrēs-ləs\ adjective

—

greaseproof

play \ˈgrēs-ˈprüf\ adjective

— in the grease

of wool or fur : in the natural uncleaned condition

See grease defined for English-language learners

See grease defined for kids

Recent Examples of grease from the Web

The user said the bones were human, found while putting in a grease trap and that the remodel had to be shut down for an investigation.

— brandon patterson, Detroit Free Press, "Bones found beneath Post Bar in Dearborn are animal remains," 9 Apr. 2018
Around 100 firefighters responded to the three-alarm blaze, later determined to be the result of a grease fire on a stove, in the Regency Park South Apartment complex Feb. 2.

— holly v. hays, Indianapolis Star, "'Lend a little hand': 20 mattresses donated to victims of south-side apartment fire," 8 Feb. 2018
Greasing Philadelphia's poles isn't unheard of, as fans tried to climb poles slathered in grease after the Phillies won the baseball World Series in 2008 and after the team took the 2009 National League pennant.

— phil mccausland, NBC News, "Philadelphia sports fans’ history of aggression has city on edge," 21 Jan. 2018
Prevent Future Clogs Fibrous foods like carrots and celery can mix with grease and coffee grounds to prevent water from draining.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "How to Unclog a Sink," 12 Jan. 2018
Statewide, the discharges ranged from ammonia nitrogen, styrene, copper, and aluminum to oil and grease.

— frank kummer, Philly.com, "Pa. second in U.S. for excessive industry discharges into waterways, says report," 27 Mar. 2018
Two days after Harvey hit, some 457 million gallons of stormwater mixed with untreated wastewater, including oil and grease, surged into an adjacent creek.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Hurricane Harvey's toxic impact deeper than public told," 22 Mar. 2018
Two days after Harvey hit, some 457 million gallons of stormwater mixed with untreated wastewater, including oil and grease, surged into an adjacent creek.

— CBS News, "Hurricane Harvey's toxic impact deeper than public told," 22 Mar. 2018
Step 6: Remove any Build-Up Next remove any wax, grease and silicone that will prevent the paint from adhering.

— paul wright, Popular Mechanics, "How to Repair Car Paint Chips," 26 Feb. 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.

Origin and Etymology of grease

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

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First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

grease

verb \ ˈgrēs , ˈgrēz \

Definition of grease

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

— grease the hand of or grease the palm of

: bribe

See grease defined for English-language learners

Examples of grease in a Sentence

Grease the pan before you put the cake batter in.
make sure you grease the pan before you put the batter in

Recent Examples of grease from the Web

According to the criminal complaint, Menendez greased wheels for Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist.

— barnini chakraborty, Fox News, "Menendez kicks off re-election bid, slams Trump on immigration," 28 Mar. 2018
Red, white and blue festooned the grounds, and the scent of hot dogs and funnel cakes greased the air.

— laura mallonee, WIRED, "An Aerial Spectacle in the Wright Brothers' Backyard," 16 Mar. 2018
In Hybrid mode, the S90 works like a big Swedish Prius, efficient, unhurried, greased with electrons, the motor and IC engine sharing the load for maximum efficiency.

— dan neil, WSJ, "Volvo S90 T8: Luxury, Thy Name is No Longer Lincoln," 9 Mar. 2018
Just run it under each eye, across the forehead, and down the nose, then splash on some water to build up a pore-cleansing, de-greasing lather.

— adam hurly, GQ, "The Best Red-Eye Dopp Kit Will Upgrade Your Face to First Class," 19 Feb. 2018
The company did it, prosecutors say, by greasing palms.

— anthony faiola, Washington Post, "The corruption scandal started in Brazil. Now it’s wreaking havoc in Peru.," 23 Jan. 2018
Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Domantas Sabonis bring a mobility to Indiana's half-court offense that greases its wheels.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "The Emergence of Victor Oladipo Has the Pacers Going Above and Beyond," 27 Mar. 2018
Once considered exclusively a tool of Western central banks, the swaps exist to grease the wheels of trade and to supply emergency cash in the event of a global funding crunch.

— Bloomberg.com, "The New Head of China’s Money Machine Faces a Delicate Balancing Act," 19 Mar. 2018
Money is the lubricant that greases the wheels of commerce.

— WSJ, "Should the U.S. Retire the Penny and Nickel?," 18 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of grease

14th century

grease Synonyms

Phrases

pave the way (for);

GREASE Defined for English Language Learners

grease

noun

Definition of grease for English Language Learners

: melted animal fat
: an oily substance

grease

verb

Definition of grease for English Language Learners

: to put a thin layer of grease or oil on (something)

GREASE Defined for Kids

grease

noun \ ˈgrēs \

Definition of grease for Students

1 : a substance obtained from animal fat by melting

2 : oily material

3 : a thick lubricant

grease

verb \ ˈgrēs , ˈgrēz \

Definition of grease for Students

greased; greasing

: to coat or lubricate with an oily material

Learn More about grease

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grease Spanish Central: Translation of grease Nglish: Translation of grease for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grease for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grease

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grease

Definition of grease

greaseless

greaseproof

Recent Examples of grease from the Web

Origin and Etymology of grease

grease

Definition of grease

Examples of grease in a Sentence

Recent Examples of grease from the Web

First Known Use of grease

grease Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Phrases

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GREASE Defined for English Language Learners

grease

Definition of grease for English Language Learners

grease

Definition of grease for English Language Learners

GREASE Defined for Kids

grease

Definition of grease for Students

grease

Definition of grease for Students

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