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Glite Dictionary
🧪 A fatty compound 🥑 With fatty acid 🛢️ Oily quality
oleic

oleic

7.5
Having the feel or shine of oil
  • adjective
  • /oʊˈliːɪk/
translation icon : oleoso
  • High oleic sunflower oil is often recommended for frying due to its stability at high temperatures.

Examples

  • Trader Joe's has an all-canola oil, which is better, but I'd still rather have something more natural like MCT mayo or high oleic sunflower oil.

    Blog text (7)

  • The recipe calls for oleic acid, which helps improve the consistency of the salad dressing.

  • Many health experts suggest using oleic oils for a heart-healthy diet because of their beneficial fat content.

Synonyms

greasy
vsoleic
123 1.0

Covered in oil or fat and feels slippery

is about resembling oil in quality rather than a heavy coating of grease
oily
vsoleic
38 1.0

Covered in oil or grease and feeling slippery

is broader, relating to or resembling oil rather than only being coated
oleaginous
vsoleic
9.9

Covered with oil or grease

focuses on relating or resembling oil rather than producing or containing it

Compounds

oleic acid
  • Specialized
2 5.0

A soft oily acid in olive oil and other fats used to make soaps and creams

How Oily

greasy
123 1.0
oleic
7.5
oily
38 1.0

Surface Forms

oleic positive

Morphology

oleic = oleic acid (semi-transparent) = ole + ic

Although historically related to 'oil', the form 'ole-' is a technical combining form and not identical to the word 'oil', so learners may not intuitively map it to 'oily'.

Etymology

Oleic comes from the Latin oleum 'oil', so a helpful way to remember it is to think 'oil-like'. That's why oleic can describe a greasy or shiny quality, for example a surface with an oily sheen or a lotion that feels oily.