1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

vegetable oil

noun

: an oil of plant origin
especially : a fatty oil from seeds or fruits

Examples of vegetable oil in a Sentence

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.
Lightly coat a large bowl with vegetable oil; transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. — The Fannie Farmer Baking Book, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026 How to Customize Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Our pumpkin seeds recipe starts with just vegetable oil and salt. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026 Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. — Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026 Also, skip vegetable oils high in omega-6 fats, such as safflower and corn. — Sunny Sea Gold, HEALTH, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vegetable oil

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vegetable oil was in 1765

Rhymes for vegetable oil

See All Rhymes for vegetable oil

Browse Nearby Words

vegetable mold
vegetable oil
vegetable orange
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vegetable oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetable%20oil. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

vegetable oil

noun
: an oil obtained from plant parts and especially from seeds or fruits

Medical Definition

vegetable oil

noun
: an oil of plant origin
especially : a fatty oil from seeds or fruits

More from Merriam-Webster on vegetable oil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vegetable oil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of pundit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All