lubricate
English · Thesaurus
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lubricate
- /ˈluːbrɪkeɪt/
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin lūbricātus, perfect passive participle of lūbricō (“make slippery”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more), from lūbricus (“slippery”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *slewbʰ- (“slip, slide”).
verb lubricates · lubricating · lubricated
-
To make slippery or smooth (normally to minimize friction) by applying a lubricant.
If your bicycle chain is squeaking you should lubricate it.
Similar: lube
- To cause someone to become drunk, especially to make them more sociable or talkative. They listened with wonder and pride at their album as it played several times throughout the afternoon, with Cosmo lubricating them with beer and whiskey.
Translations
Every language
verb to make slippery or smooth
| Español | lubricar, lubrificar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 注油する chūyu-suru |
| 中文 | 潤滑 /润滑 rùnhuá |
| Português | lubrificar |
| Français | lubrifier |
| Deutsch | schmieren |
| Italiano | lubrificare |
| Ελληνικά | λιπαίνω lipaíno |
| Română | lubrifia |
| Русский | сма́зывать smázyvatʹ, сма́зать smázatʹ |
Talk about this word "lubricate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lubricate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. lubricate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lubricate "lubricate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lubricate.Cite this
@misc{lubricate_2026,
title = {lubricate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lubricate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
