grease
grease Lexical Profile
grease Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thick, oily substance used as a lubricant for machinery and mechanical parts.
"The mechanic applied a generous layer of grease to the axle to stop the annoying squeak."
Melted animal fat used in or resulting from cooking and frying.
"After frying the bacon, she poured the leftover grease into a small glass jar to cool."
• verb
To smear or coat a surface or moving part with a thick, oily substance in order to reduce friction.
"He spent the morning greasing the hinges on every door in the house."
To illegally bribe or secretly pay someone to secure a favor or facilitate a process (often used in the phrase 'grease someone's palm').
"The contractor had to grease a few palms at city hall to get the building permits approved on time."
Word Nuance & Usage
When written or spoken, take care not to confuse 'grease' with its homophone 'Greece', which is a country in Southeastern Europe.
• Rhymes for grease
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'grece', borrowed from Old French 'gresse', which derives from Vulgar Latin 'crassia', based on Latin 'crassus' meaning 'thick, solid, or fat'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.