noun
grease
grees
noun
1
Melted or soft animal fat, or any thick oily substance used for lubrication.
"She wiped the grease off the pan before washing it."
"The mechanic covered his hands in grease working on the engine."
verb
1
To coat something with grease or fat, often to make it slide or work more smoothly.
"Grease the tin before pouring in the cake mixture."
"He greased the hinges so the door would stop squeaking."
2
(informal) To bribe someone, especially to get quicker or preferential treatment.
"They greased the official's palm to speed up the paperwork."
How to Use Grease
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA thick, oily, fatty substance, or the act of coating something with it — often used loosely for bribery too.
Common mistake
"Grease someone's palm" is an idiom for bribery, not literal hand cream.
Common pairings
cooking grease
grease the wheels
grease a pan
elbow grease
Word Forms
greased past tense, greases plural, greases singular
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Etymology
From Old French craisse/craisse ("fatness"), ultimately from Latin crassus, "thick" or "fat" — the same root that gives English the word crass.