oil slick
6
3.7
- noun
- /ɔɪl slɪk/
:
manto de petróleo
- Scientists studied the oil slick to understand its impact on marine ecosystems and weather patterns.
So I took a job as an engineer in a shipyard at the place where they skim oil slicks.
- So I took a job as an engineer in a shipyard at the place where they skim oil slicks.
Examples
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After the tanker accident, an oil slick covered a vast area of the bay, affecting wildlife.
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At first, it looked like an oil slick: a glossy, dark brown ribbon winding hundreds of yards through a choppy, milky blue sea.
Academic text (1991) -
Watch out for that oil slick!
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You ever seen an oil slick?
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Have you ever seen a perfectly round oil slick?
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The pool is now coated with an oil slick.
Fiction book (1996) -
There's a thick oil slick on it.
Fiction book (2000) -
In Manhattan, an oil slick caused a truck to crash into a hydo pole today.
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That oil slick we saw was just this big sticky mess in the water and streaks and smudges.
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More recently, my son-in-law Rajinder died when his scooter slipped from beneath him on an oil slick.
Fiction book (2001)
Synonyms
8
5.8
A thin layer of oil that floats on water
How Oily
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a thin layer of oil on water' is directly compositional from 'oil' (the substance) + 'slick' (a slippery film), so a learner who knows both words can infer the compound meaning. This is a literal, domain-specific combination found across languages and contexts, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Oil slick comes from the picture of a thin layer of oil spreading across the water and making the surface shiny and slippery; the word slick suggests 'slippery' or smooth. That's why 'oil slick' means a thin film of oil floating on the sea or a lake, often after a spill.