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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The hours faded, and Lohner once rushed to a summer workout at BYU with oil grease smeared across his cheeks. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 July 2025 Skip the grease: Avoid fried, spicy, or greasy foods, which take longer to digest and can worsen nausea. Health, 4 July 2025
Verb
Lightly grease a 17x11-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; line with parchment paper. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 30 June 2025 Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for grease

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grease. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

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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