oil beetle noun

A beetle (of the genus Meloe) that emits a yellowish oily liquid from its legs when disturbed

oilˈ-belt noun

A belt of country yielding mineral oil

oilˈbird noun

The guacharo

oilˈ-burner noun

1. A ship that uses oil as fuel
2. A lamp-burner for use with oil

oilˈ-burning adjective

oilˈ-cake noun

A cattle food made of the residue of oilseeds when most of the oil has been pressed out

oilˈcan noun

A can for carrying oil or for applying lubricating oil

oilˈcloth noun

1. A canvas coated with linseed oil paint
2. Oilskin

oil colour noun

A colouring substance mixed with oil, an oil paint

oil-control ring noun (motoring)

Same as scraper ring (see under scrape)

oilˈ-cup noun

A small cup-like container, usu attached to machinery, for holding and dispensing lubricating oil

oil drum noun

A cylindrical metal barrel for oil

oil engine noun

An internal-combustion engine burning vapour from oil

oilˈfield noun

An area that produces mineral oil

oil-filled cable noun (elec eng)

Cable with a central duct filled with oil, eliminating gaseous voids and consequent ionization

oilˈ-fired adjective

Burning oil as fuel

oilˈ-gas noun

Illuminating gas or heating gas made by destructive distillation of oil

oil gauge noun

An instrument for indicating the level of lubricating oil in an engine, etc

oil gland noun

The uropygial gland in birds, forming a secretion used in preening the feathers

oil immersion noun

A technique, used to extend the resolving power of a light microscope, in which a thin film of oil is placed between a special oil-immersion objective lens and the specimen

oil length noun

The ratio of drying oil to resin in eg a varnish (longˈ-oil having a high proportion, shortˈ-oil a low proportion, of oil)

oilˈman noun

1. A man who deals in oils
2. A man who owns an oil well
3. A man involved in the operation of an oil well, oil rig, etc

oil mill noun

A grinding-mill for expressing oil from seeds, etc

oilˈnut noun

The N American butternut, the buffalo-nut, or other oil-yielding nut

oil paint noun

An oil colour

oil painting noun

1. A picture painted in oil colours
2. The art of painting in oil colours

oil palm noun

A palm (Elaeis guineensis) whose fruit pulp yields palm oil

oil pan noun

The sump in an internal-combustion engine

oil paper noun

Paper that has been oiled, eg to make it waterproof

oil platform noun

A steel and/or concrete structure, either fixed or mobile, used in offshore drilling to support the rig and to keep stores, etc

oil press noun

A machine for expressing oils from seeds or pulp

oilˈ-rich adjective

Having much oil

oil rig noun

1. The complete plant (machinery, structures, etc) required for oil-well drilling
2. (loosely) a mobile oil platform

oil sand noun

1. Sand or sandstone occurring naturally impregnated with petroleum
2. Tar sand

oilˈseed noun

Any seed that yields oil

oilseed rape noun

A plant with vivid yellow flowers, yielding vegetable oil

oil shale noun

A shale containing diffused hydrocarbons in a state suitable for distillation into mineral oils

oil silk noun

A transparent silk fabric impregnated with oxidized oil

oilˈskin noun

1. Cloth made waterproof by means of oil
2. A garment made of oilskin

oil slick noun

A patch of oil forming a film on the surface of water or (rarely) a road, etc

oilˈstone noun

A whetstone used with oil

oil string same as production string (see under produce).

oil tanker noun

A vessel constructed for carrying oil in bulk

oilˈ-tree noun

Any of several trees or shrubs from which oil is obtained, that mentioned in Isaiah 41.19 in the Bible probably being the oleaster

oil well noun

A boring made on land or the seabed for extracting petroleum

oily fish noun

Any fish whose meat is rich in fatty acids, including salmon and mackerel

long-oil and short-oil see oil length above.

no oil painting (informal; facetious)

(facially) unattractive

oil someone's palm

To bribe someone

oil the wheels

To do something in order to make things go more smoothly, successfully, etc

strike oil

1. To discover oil while boring for it
2. To find the way to success and riches