Oil \Oil\ (oil), n. [OE. oile, OF. oile, F. huile, fr. L. oleum;
akin to Gr. ?. Cf. Olive.]
Any one of a great variety of unctuous combustible
substances, not miscible with water; as, olive oil, whale
oil, rock oil, etc. They are of animal, vegetable, or mineral
origin and of varied composition, and they are variously used
for food, for solvents, for anointing, lubrication,
illumination, etc. By extension, any substance of an oily
consistency; as, oil of vitriol.
Note: The mineral oils are varieties of petroleum. See
Petroleum. The vegetable oils are of two classes,
essential oils (see under Essential), and natural
oils which in general resemble the animal oils and
fats. Most of the natural oils and the animal oils and
fats consist of ethereal salts of glycerin, with a
large number of organic acids, principally stearic,
oleic, and palmitic, forming respectively stearin,
olein, and palmitin. Stearin and palmitin prevail in
the solid oils and fats, and olein in the liquid oils.
Mutton tallow, beef tallow, and lard are rich in
stearin, human fat and palm oil in palmitin, and sperm
and cod-liver oils in olein. In making soaps, the acids
leave the glycerin and unite with the soda or potash.
Animal oil, Bone oil, Dipple's oil, etc. (Old Chem.), a
complex oil obtained by the distillation of animal
substances, as bones. See Bone oil, under Bone.
Drying oils, Essential oils. (Chem.) See under Drying,
and Essential.
Ethereal oil of wine, Heavy oil of wine. (Chem.) See
under Ethereal.
Fixed oil. (Chem.) See under Fixed.
Oil bag (Zo["o]l.), a bag, cyst, or gland in animals,
containing oil.
Oil beetle (Zo["o]l.), any beetle of the genus Meloe and
allied genera. When disturbed they emit from the joints of
the legs a yellowish oily liquor. Some species possess
vesicating properties, and are used instead of
cantharides.
Oil box, or Oil cellar (Mach.), a fixed box or reservoir,
for lubricating a bearing; esp., the box for oil beneath
the journal of a railway-car axle.
Oil cake. See under Cake.
Oil cock, a stopcock connected with an oil cup. See Oil
cup.
Oil color.
(a) A paint made by grinding a coloring substance in oil.
(b) Such paints, taken in a general sense.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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