Word of the Day

: January 18, 2007

oleaginous

adjective oh-lee-AJ-uh-nus

What It Means

1 : resembling or having the properties of oil : oily; also : containing or producing oil

2 : marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality

oleaginous in Context

Kelly spoke to her boss with an oleaginous deference that made her coworkers cringe.

Did You Know?

The oily "oleaginous" slipped into English through Middle French, coming from the Latin "oleagineus," meaning "of an olive tree." "Oleagineus" itself is from the Latin "olea," meaning "olive tree," and ultimately from the Greek "elaia," meaning "olive." "Oleaginous" was at first used in a literal sense, as it still can be. An oleaginous substance is simply oily, and an oleaginous plant produces oil. The word took on its extended "ingratiating" sense in the 19th century.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.