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
Borax is an alkali that's good for cutting grease, oil, and dirt. Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2024 Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or generously grease. Genevieve Ko, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024 Size: 38 oz | Use: Dishes, car exteriors, grease stains on clothes | Scented? Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2024 Starting in 2020, the FDA obtained commitments from U.S. food manufacturers to phase out PFAS in wrappers, boxes and bags with coating to prevent grease, water and other liquids from soaking through. CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 The side of the back merchandiser, the soda syrup rack and the dry storage shelves had grease, dust or debris on them, according to the inspection report. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 17 Feb. 2024 Covered in black oil, mud, or grease, revelers reenact a tradition inspired by enslaved Africans who were determined to claim their freedom. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2024 The all-carbon frame is powered on a 250-watt motor, running on a durable carbon belt that avoids any risk of grease stains. Nathan Borchelt, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2024 The jelly cleanser gets down and dirty removing all of the grease and the day’s pollution from your face and helping your skin glow. Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2024
Verb
Using a little bit of the oil, grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. 2. Christina Morales, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 Transfer dough to a large bowl lightly greased with cooking spray, cover with a kitchen towel or wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and allow dough to rise in a warm place (80°F to 85°F), free from drafts, until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Spread vegetable oil on your hands, then scoop 1 to 2 ounces of the shrimp paste and roll into meatballs (greasing hands as needed to prevent sticking). Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024 Lightly grease a large baking sheet; set aside. Punch down dough. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2024 After seeing a movie in a theater, most of us will dump our cardboard popcorn bucket — greased with butter, some leftovers rattling around the bottom — in a trash bin. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 The talks, which involved the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, also were greased by some of the $4 billion approved by the Biden administration and Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for the Colorado River and drought resiliency projects elsewhere. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2023 The cables that lift and lower the bridge to shipping traffic have to be greased by hand, and the grease alone costs about $40,000 a year, on top of $1.2 million in annual operating costs. Claire Rush and Jennifer Kane, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2024 Partisan legislators, mired in lobbying dollars, must be replaced by Independents who are willing to work from the middle out to grease the skids of Congress and do the people’s work. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024

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 29 Mar. 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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