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lubricate

verb
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lu·​bri·​cate | \ ˈlü-brə-ˌkāt How to pronounce lubricate (audio) \
lubricated; lubricating

Definition of lubricate

transitive verb

1 : to make smooth or slippery
2 : to apply a lubricant to

intransitive verb

: to act as a lubricant
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Other Words from lubricate

lubrication \ ˌlü-​brə-​ˈkā-​shən How to pronounce lubricate (audio) \ noun
lubricative \ ˈlü-​brə-​ˌkā-​tiv How to pronounce lubricate (audio) \ adjective
lubricator \ ˈlü-​brə-​ˌkā-​tər How to pronounce lubricate (audio) \ noun

Synonyms for lubricate

Synonyms

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Examples of lubricate in a Sentence

it's not a good idea to use olive oil to lubricate the gears in an appliance
Recent Examples on the Web Most stones either require water or special honing oil to lubricate the blade during sharpening. — The Editors, Outdoor Life, "Three Keys to Using a Sharpening Stone," 28 Aug. 2019 The cables help raise and lower the bridge spans, and every year ODOT crews lubricate more than six miles of cable to keep the lift apparatus on the aging bridge in operating condition, according to a recent ODOT release. — oregonlive, "Northbound Interstate Bridge maintenance may cause overnight travel delays Friday," 20 Nov. 2020 So, yeah: A drug extracted from indigenous knowledge to lubricate European colonialist impulses went on to power the military adventures of the latter 20th century and save millions of lives. — Adam Rogers, Wired, "The Strange and Twisted Tale of Hydroxychloroquine," 11 Nov. 2020 Squalene has plenty of plant and animal sources (including humans, who produce it to lubricate and protect their skin). — Katherine J. Wu, New York Times, "Coronavirus Vaccine Makers Are Not Mass-Slaughtering Sharks," 13 Oct. 2020 Repeat the previous steps to clean and lubricate the remaining hinge pins. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "Common Home Repairs You Can Do on Your Own," 25 Aug. 2020 Frothy oil can't be pumped and will not lubricate the engine. — Motormouth Bob Weber, Star Tribune, "Motormouth: When storing car, don't disconnect battery," 14 Aug. 2020 These sediments serve to lubricate the boundary region, helping one plate to slide against the other and limiting the buildup of stresses that causes earthquakes. — National Geographic, "Why the Oaxaca earthquake made buildings sway hundreds of miles away," 23 June 2020 There were plenty of liquid funds to lubricate trading. — The Economist, "Buttonwood To understand the new wave of small investors, look to China," 20 June 2020

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

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First Known Use of lubricate

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for lubricate

Latin lubricatus, past participle of lubricare, from lubricus slippery — more at sleeve

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Time Traveler for lubricate

Time Traveler

The first known use of lubricate was circa 1623

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Statistics for lubricate

Last Updated

13 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Lubricate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lubricate. Accessed 23 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for lubricate

lubricate

verb
How to pronounce lubricate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of lubricate

: to make (something) smooth or slippery : to apply a lubricant to (something, such as a machine or a part of a machine)

See the full definition for lubricate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lubricate

verb
lu·​bri·​cate | \ ˈlü-brə-ˌkāt How to pronounce lubricate (audio) \
lubricated; lubricating

Kids Definition of lubricate

: to apply oil or grease to in order to make smooth or slippery Mechanics lubricated the gears.

lubricate

transitive verb
lu·​bri·​cate | \ ˈlü-bri-ˌkāt How to pronounce lubricate (audio) \
lubricated; lubricating

Medical Definition of lubricate

: to make smooth, slippery, or oily in motion, action, or appearance lubricate the eye lubricate the skin

Other Words from lubricate

lubrication \ ˌlü-​brə-​ˈkā-​shən How to pronounce lubricate (audio) \ noun

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More from Merriam-Webster on lubricate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lubricate

Nglish: Translation of lubricate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lubricate for Arabic Speakers

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