train oil
- noun
- /treɪn ɔɪl/
- Archaic
:
aceite de ballena
- Centuries ago, train oil was a crucial commodity for lighting homes and streets.
Examples
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The production of train oil declined sharply with the advent of kerosene.
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Artisans sometimes used train oil in the manufacture of fine soaps.
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The old lamp was filled with train oil.
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Many people used train oil for lighting in the past.
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In the 19th century, many households relied on train oil for illuminating their lamps.
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Due to its brightness, train oil became a popular choice for lighting during the whale oil era.
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Before electric light, people often purchased train oil to keep their homes well-lit.
Synonyms
2
7.8
A pale yellow to brown oil from whale fat that people use to light lamps
A pale oil from sperm whales used long ago to light lamps and oil machines
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'train' (a procession or railway vehicle) and 'oil' (a slippery liquid) would not be able to infer that this refers to oil from whale blubber; the modern literal meanings of the constituents point toward railway/vehicle oil or a generic oil, so the actual sense is lexicalized and historically derived, not compositional. The term is archaic and etymologically unrelated to the common sense of 'train', making the phrase unpredictable for learners.
Etymology
The noun train oil comes from an old Dutch word traan meaning 'tear' or 'drop' and people used train to name the oily drops taken from whale fat. That's why train oil means the oil from whales that was used for lamps and soap.