What does “oil” mean?
- 1
nouna thick liquid from plants or animals used in cooking
Fry the onions in a little olive oil.
- 2
nouna thick liquid from under the ground used for fuel and machines
The price of oil went up again.
Oil at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /ɔɪl/ · OYL
How to use “oil” correctly
“Oil” is usually uncountable: “some oil,” not “an oil.”
Common phrases with “oil”
- olive oil
- oil price
- oil company
- cooking oil
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- oily
Idioms with “oil”
- Burn the midnight oil: To work or study until very late at night.
“oil” is on these word lists
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