lubricate

verb

lu·bri·cate | \ ˈlü-brə-ˌkāt

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

Other Words from lubricate Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about lubricate

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Other Words from lubricate

lubrication \ ˌlü-brə-ˈkā-shən

\ noun

lubricative \ ˈlü-brə-ˌkā-tiv

\ adjective

lubricator \ ˈlü-brə-ˌkā-tər

\ noun

Synonyms for lubricate

Synonyms

grease, oil, slick, wax

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

Your eyelids help keep your eyes lubricated in a few important ways. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "Are Eyelid Issues Causing Your Dry Eyes? Here's How to Tell," 14 Dec. 2018 Or the melting lubricates more melting, and so forth. — David Roberts, Vox, "Climate change policy can be overwhelming. Here’s a guide to the policies that work.," 30 Nov. 2018 Oktoberfest, the second-most-important tourist magnet for the Bavarian-themed mountain town of Leavenworth, this year drew less of the loud, lager-lubricated partying for which it was once known. — Paul Roberts, The Seattle Times, "Peak Oktober: Has Leavenworth’s famously beery festival reached its limit?," 26 Oct. 2018 Dry eye happens when your eyes can’t adequately lubricate themselves because the amount or quality of your tears isn’t up to par, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). — Korin Miller, SELF, "8 Possible Reasons Your Contacts Feel So Scratchy," 8 Aug. 2018 Dry eye occurs when the quantity and/or quality of your tears isn’t high enough to keep your eyes lubricated. — Juno Demelo, Glamour, "4 Times Vision Loss Is About More Than Your Eyes Getting Older," 13 Nov. 2018 Such exchanges lubricate the wheels of our culture, our economy and our society. — Bob Brody, WSJ, "If I Wanted a TV Dinner, I’d Stay Home," 20 Sep. 2018 Weird but true: Dogs lower intestinal tract glands produce a clear, jelly-like slime to lubricate the colon and help stool pass more easily. — Marygrace Taylor, Good Housekeeping, "6 Things Your Dog's Poop Can Tell You About Its Health," 11 July 2018 To reach the prostate, lubricate a finger and gently put it up the man's rectum. — Redbook, "33 Sexy Places to Touch Your Guy," 30 Oct. 2017

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.