whale oil
2
7.8
- noun
- /weɪl ɔɪl/
- Archaic
:
aceite de ballena
- Whale meat was used for human consumption, and whale oil was used for lighting, lubrication, and soap.
- whale oil was used
So that means that for a long time, humans had their their lighting needs met by instead of kerosene and petroleum products, by whale oil.
- So that means that for a long time, humans had their their lighting needs met by instead of kerosene and petroleum products, by whale oil.
Examples
-
To the lighthouse keeper, plugging leaky casks of whale oil or replacing a broken glass lamp chimney, it does not matter.
Fiction book (1999) -
The lantern was originally lit with 9 whale oil lamps with 16-inch (41 cm) tin reflectors.
Blog text (8) -
The Chinese used whale oil for lanterns.
Academic text (2009) -
At the time, whale oil was the main fuel used for lighting and also for machine lubrication.
-
Whale oil was prized for its best light and low soot, but production peaked in the 1840s.
Academic text (2009) -
She leaned weakly against the cask of whale oil, eyes closed, vastly relieved at being free of pain.
Fiction book (1996) -
She presumed that one of her employees had omitted trimming the wick or refilling the bowl with whale oil.
Fiction book (1990) -
In the 19th century, many homes were illuminated by lamps filled with whale oil.
-
Lighthouse keepers often relied on whale oil to illuminate their beacons before the advent of electricity.
-
The use of whale oil in manufacturing was common before it was largely replaced by synthetic alternatives.
Synonyms
406
1.0
A liquid fat from plants used for cooking and salad dressings
2
2.4
An oil that people burn in lamps and heaters
1
7.6
An oil made from coal that burns easily in lamps and heaters
An oil made from whale fat used long ago for lamps and soap
A pale oil from sperm whales used long ago to light lamps and oil machines
A yellowish liquid from seal fat that people use to make soap, treat leather, and burn in lamps
Fat from animals like fish and whales that is used as a liquid for fuel and soap
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun-noun combination 'whale oil' transparently denotes oil that comes from whales, a meaning directly derivable from the constituent words 'whale' and 'oil' following a common compounding pattern. This literal compositionality is cross-linguistically typical and would be readily understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Whale oil comes from the old practice of boiling the fat of whales to get oil. That oil was burned as 'fuel' for lamps, so the name came to mean the lamp oil made from whales.