A lubricant is a substance which you put on the surfaces or parts of something, especially something mechanical, to make the parts move smoothly.
Its nozzle was smeared with some kind of lubricant.
...industrial lubricants.
2. countable noun
If you refer to something as a lubricant in a particular situation, you mean that it helps to make things happen without any problems.
I think humor is a great lubricant for life. [+ for]
More Synonyms of lubricant
lubricant in British English
(ˈluːbrɪkənt)
noun
1.
a lubricating substance, such as oil
adjective
2.
serving to lubricate
Word origin
C19: from Latin lūbricāns, present participle of lūbricāre. See lubricate
lubricant in American English
(ˈlubrɪkənt)
adjective
1.
reducing friction by providing a smooth film as a covering over parts that move against each other; lubricating
noun
2.
a substance for reducing friction in this way, as oil or grease
Word origin
L lubricans, prp.: see lubricate
Examples of 'lubricant' in a sentence
lubricant
Humour is a social lubricant which can help to forge relationships and strengthen existing ones.
Paul Martin MAKING HAPPY PEOPLE (2005)
Don't be afraid to use lubricant in industrial quantities.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The commonest lubricant is oil, used in all car engines to reduce friction and wear.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
Zinc oxide is the body's natural lip lubricant.
The Sun (2010)
A small dose of inflation acts as an economic lubricant.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Modest and stable inflation acts as an economic lubricant, it gets consumers to spend and businesses to invest in anticipation of future demand.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
That's why drinks are used as a social lubricant - to put people at their ease.
Hambly, Dr Kenneth Banish Anxiety - how to stop worrying and take charge of your life (1991)
In the absence of a profit drive, this is a simple but effective social lubricant, helping to avoid hardship caused by unexpected expenses.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
A dose of modestly positive and stable inflation acts as an economic lubricant, encouraging consumers to spend and businesses to invest in anticipation of that demand.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
lubricant
British English: lubricant NOUN
A lubricant is a substance which you put on the surfaces or parts of something, especially something mechanical, to make the parts move smoothly.
Its nozzle was smeared with some kind of lubricant.
American English: lubricant
Brazilian Portuguese: lubrificante
Chinese: 润滑剂
European Spanish: lubricante
French: lubrifiant
German: Schmiermittel
Italian: lubrificante
Japanese: 潤滑剤
Korean: 윤활류
European Portuguese: lubrificante
Latin American Spanish: lubricante
(noun)
Definition
a lubricating substance, such as oil
industrial lubricants
Synonyms
lubricator
oil
Her car had run out of oil.
grease
Additional synonyms
in the sense of oil
Definition
a substance derived from petroleum and used for lubrication