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motor oil

motor oil

11 3.3
Liquid you put in a car engine to make the moving parts work smoothly
  • noun
  • /ˈmoʊtər ɔɪl/
translation icon : aceite de motor
  • Before going on a long trip, make sure to check your car's motor oil level.
  • use motor oil

And then they just drizzle this motor oil.

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Examples

  • The improper disposal of used motor oil has both health and ecological consequences.

    Academic text (1992)
  • And besides, motor oil would have nothing to do with this accident.

  • That looks like motor oil right next to it.

  • Last time I went in there, I came out and I had motor oil all over my pants.

  • Protect your car with Valvoline motor oil.

  • But with the right motor oil and the right brakes, it wins lots of races.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The recycling facility accepts 17 types of recyclables, including tires and motor oil, and is funded almost entirely by their sale.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Apply a light coating of motor oil or honing oil to your tools to prevent rust.

    Blog text (34)
  • Its air was stagnant, smelling of corner must, discarded tires, and jugs of used motor oil.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The 1,800-inmate facility collects scrap metal, paper, cardboard, motor oil, car and radio batteries, food residuals, and coal ash.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

oil
vsmotor oil
1.0

A slippery thick liquid that does not mix with water used for machines, fuel, or cooking

is focused on vehicles and engine moving parts rather than all liquid uses
lubricant
vsmotor oil
  • Specialized
33 3.7

A liquid or grease that reduces wear and noise between moving parts

is used specifically for internal combustion engines in vehicles
lubricating oil
vsmotor oil
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A thick oily liquid that reduces rubbing between moving parts in machines

is specific to internal combustion engines in vehicles rather than general machinery
lubricating substance
vsmotor oil
  • Specialized
4.3

A material like oil or grease that helps machine parts slide easily

is meant for use in vehicle engines rather than all friction reducers

How Thick

grease
127 1.8
motor oil
11 3.3

Surface Forms

motor oil singular
motor oils plural

Morphology

motor + oil

The meaning 'oil used to lubricate an engine' is directly derivable from combining 'motor' (engine) and 'oil' (lubricant); the compound simply names the oil associated with a motor. This noun‑noun composition is a common, compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Motor oil is a simple name: it is the oil used in a motor, or 'engine', to keep metal parts from rubbing together and to help them move smoothly. That's why the phrase means the oil that helps a vehicle's engine run well.