lubricant
noun
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Definition of lubricant
1 : a substance (such as grease) capable of reducing friction, heat, and wear when introduced as a film between solid surfaces
2 : something that lessens or prevents friction or difficulty a social lubricant
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Examples of lubricant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many of our readers and locksmiths swear by Tri-Flow lubricant. — Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, "Stuck door lock? Use graphite lube, not WD-40," 3 Dec. 2017 Much of the painstaking work involves decontamination of sewers where the explosive contaminants were deposited, plus sewer and building foundation removal and dealing with lead, metals, oil, lubricants and other hazards in and around the sewers. — Lynn Horsley, kansascity, "Next big development in JoCo? Officials say, speed up Sunflower ammo plant cleanup | The Kansas City Star," 15 May 2018 Hemp seeds are a nutritious source of protein for humans and livestock, while hemp oils and extracts are used in cosmetics, soaps, plastics and lubricants. — William L. Spence, idahostatesman, "Congress has moved to OK this once-controversial crop, and Idaho could benefit bigtime," 4 July 2018 Dozens of guitars and hundreds of varieties of guitar strings – and even guitar string lubricant. — Gavin Edwards, charlotteobserver, "Pianos, mules, guitar strings: A 106-year-old family business is bidding it all goodbye," 8 June 2018 Cherry, grape and strawberry scents were trademarked for lubricants used for land and water vehicles by Manhattan Oil. — Rachel Siegel, chicagotribune.com, "Hasbro trademarks Play-Doh scent," 24 May 2018 Similarly, several decades later, the introduction of tetraethyl lead into gasoline raised environmental concerns, but was tolerated as a necessary lubricant for the adoption of the internal combustion engine. — New York Times, "A History of the Energy We Have Consumed," 18 June 2018 The machine's joints produce friction that makes its movement somewhat stilted, so the researchers are looking at possible lubricants. Electrically stimulating the muscles also produces bubbles in the surrounding water, which degrade the tissue. — Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, "New Hybrid Robot Uses Living Muscles to Move," 30 May 2018 Delays to the Galileo launch caused by the Challenger disaster in 1986 mean the spacecraft sat in storage for a few years, and the lubricant needed to efficiently deploy the antenna dissolved. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Spacecraft Likely Flew Though a Europa Water Plume in 1997," 14 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lubricant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for lubricant
lubricant
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lubricant
: a substance (such as grease or oil) that causes something (such as a machine part) to be slippery and to move more smoothly
: something that makes it easier for people to work or talk with each other
See the full definition for lubricant in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lubricant
noun
\
Kids Definition of lubricant
: something (as oil or grease) that makes a surface smooth or slippery
lubricant
adjective
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Medical Definition of lubricant
(Entry 1 of 2)
: serving to lubricate a surface or part
lubricant
nounMedical Definition of lubricant (Entry 2 of 2)
: a substance that serves to lubricate a surface or part normally, the intestinal passage requires no artificial lubricant —E. B. Steen & Ashley Montagu
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