Etymology tree
Latin crassus
Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós
Proto-Italic *-ijos
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin -ia
Vulgar Latin *crassia
Anglo-Norman grecebor.
Middle English grece
English grease
From Middle English grece, from Anglo-Norman grece, from Vulgar Latin *crassia, noun derived from Latin crassus (“fat, thick”). Doublet of crass.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) Animal fat in a melted or soft state.
(broadly, countable, uncountable) Any oily or fatty matter.
(countable, uncountable) Shorn but not yet cleansed wool.
(countable, uncountable) Inflammation of a horse's heels, also known as scratches or pastern dermatitis.
(countable, slang, uncountable) Money.
Some of the people I talked to said it could be done—but it would cost big money. More grease than I’d ever dreamed of. 1982, Stephen King, Survivor Type:
(countable, dated, slang, uncountable) Synonym of fat (“work containing much blank, profitable to the compositor”).
chy amėške (animal fat) · sk tuk (animal fat) · wao húmiš (animal fat) · yi שמאַלץ (animal fat) · id lemak (animal fat) · nl vet (animal fat) · de Schmiere (oily or fatty matter) · lt riebalai (animal fat) · bg сма́зка (oily or fatty matter) · ko 지방 (animal fat) · te కందెన (animal fat) · sq yndyrë (animal fat) · ast entrelliz (animal fat) · be жыр (animal fat) · rgn graṣ (animal fat) · chr ᎪᎢ (animal fat) · cmn 潤滑脂 /润滑脂 (oily or fatty matter) · la arvīna (animal fat) · ota یاغ (oily or fatty matter) · bg ма́сло (oily or fatty matter) · he שֶׁמֶן (animal fat) · oj bimide (animal fat) · ru мазь (oily or fatty matter) · gl graxa (animal fat) · da ister (animal fat) · fr graisse (animal fat) · nl olie (oily or fatty matter) · pt graxa (oily or fatty matter) · sv fett (animal fat) · rif tadunt (oily or fatty matter) · ar شَحْم (oily or fatty matter) · ur چربی (animal fat) · tl grasa (oily or fatty matter) · ka ცხიმი (animal fat) · nb fett (animal fat) · fr graisse (oily or fatty matter) · es grasa (oily or fatty matter) · eo graso (animal fat) · pt gordura (animal fat) · lv smērviela (oily or fatty matter) · gl enxunlla (animal fat) · hi चरबी (animal fat) · pl smar (oily or fatty matter) · uk масти́ло (oily or fatty matter) · tpi gris (animal fat) · ms gris (animal fat) · ast untu (animal fat) · oc grais (animal fat) · ms lemak (animal fat) · hi ग्रीस (oily or fatty matter) · ast saín (animal fat) · ja 潤滑油 (oily or fatty matter) · ast untaza (animal fat) · nl smeer (animal fat) · tpi gris (oily or fatty matter) · yur pemey (animal fat) · cmn 油脂 (animal fat) · otk 𐰖𐰍 (animal fat) · es grasa (animal fat) · ru сма́лец (animal fat) · la pingue (animal fat) · ast sebu (animal fat) · ast entrellenzu (animal fat) · be зма́зка (oily or fatty matter) · mk сало (animal fat) · kcg hya̱u (animal fat) · ko 윤활유 (oily or fatty matter) · io graso (animal fat) · ha giris (oily or fatty matter) · apw biʼikʼah (oily or fatty matter) · ta கொழுப்பு (animal fat) · et määrdeaine (oily or fatty matter) · da fedt (animal fat) · uk са́ло (animal fat) · tl grasa (animal fat) · ru са́ло (animal fat) · hi ग्रीज (oily or fatty matter) · uk мазь (oily or fatty matter) · pt graxa (animal fat) · he שֻׁמָּן (oily or fatty matter) · rif tadunt (animal fat) · nb smørefett (animal fat) · ta பிசுக்கு (oily or fatty matter) · mk маснотија (oily or fatty matter) · ja 脂肪 (animal fat) · it grasso (animal fat) · ast ensundia (animal fat) · ota روغن (oily or fatty matter) · ms minyak (animal fat) · fa گریس (oily or fatty matter) · el γράσο (animal fat) · lt tepalas (oily or fatty matter) · uk лій (animal fat) · hi ग्रीज़ (oily or fatty matter) · ja グリース (oily or fatty matter) · zu amafutha (animal fat) · km ខ្លាញ់ (animal fat) · et rasv (oily or fatty matter) · fi raakavilla (shorn but not yet cleansed wool) · vi mỡ (animal fat) · bg мазнина́ (animal fat) · id jelantah (oily or fatty matter) · et rasv (animal fat) · ota روغن (animal fat) · cmn 脂肪 (animal fat) · ha mai (animal fat) · de Schmierfett (oily or fatty matter) · nl vet (oily or fatty matter) · sv flott (animal fat) · yi בוימל (animal fat) · lt taukai (animal fat) · fi öljy (oily or fatty matter) · gl saín (animal fat) · ko 유지 (animal fat) · sw grisi (animal fat) · lv tauki (animal fat) · bg непра́на вълна́ (shorn but not yet cleansed wool) · hy քսուք (oily or fatty matter) · cmn 潤滑油 /润滑油 (oily or fatty matter) · be тлушч (animal fat) · th มัน (animal fat) · la unguen (animal fat) · pl tłuszcz (animal fat) · mt grass (animal fat) · sv ister (animal fat) · ka ქონი (animal fat) · uk мази́ло (oily or fatty matter) · cy saim (animal fat) · kmr don (animal fat) · gd saill (animal fat) · gl sebo (animal fat) · ast enxundia (animal fat) · ha mai (oily or fatty matter) · hu zsír (animal fat) · gl morca (animal fat) · yi שמאַלץ (oily or fatty matter) · ota یاغ (animal fat) · fi rasva (oily or fatty matter) · de Fett (animal fat) · or ଗ୍ରୀସ୍ (animal fat) · gl graxa (oily or fatty matter) · fi kurarupi (inflammation of a horse's heels) · hy ճարպ (animal fat) · bol giris (oily or fatty matter) · ru сма́зка (oily or fatty matter) · uk жир (animal fat) · ms minyak (oily or fatty matter) · eu koipe (animal fat) · chr ᎪᎢ (oily or fatty matter) · bg мас (animal fat) · ar شَحْم (animal fat) · mn өөх (animal fat) · cs tuk (animal fat) · he שֶׁמֶן (oily or fatty matter) · mk маст (animal fat) · txb ṣmare (animal fat) · ro grăsime (animal fat) · gl lardo (animal fat) · tr yağ (animal fat) · sw grisi (oily or fatty matter) · ko 기름 (animal fat) · eu gantz (animal fat) · fi eläinrasva (animal fat) · ru ма́сло (animal fat) · ca greix (animal fat) · ru жир (animal fat) · th จาระบี (oily or fatty matter) · ga bealadh (oily or fatty matter) · ast grasa (animal fat)
grease en · VERB
Pronunciation
grēz (General-American)
/ɡɹis/ (General-American)
/ɡɹiːs/ (UK)
grēs (UK)
grēs (General-American)
/ɡɹiz/ (General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree
Latin crassus
Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós
Proto-Italic *-ijos
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin -ia
Vulgar Latin *crassia
Anglo-Norman grecebor.
Middle English grece
English grease
From Middle English grece, from Anglo-Norman grece, from Vulgar Latin *crassia, noun derived from Latin crassus (“fat, thick”). Doublet of crass.
Meanings
(transitive) To put grease or fat on something, especially in order to lubricate.
(informal, transitive) To bribe.
the greas'd advocate that grinds the poor 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Third Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
Then you remember we greased him to the tune of five hundred. 2008, Byron Archibald Dunn, With Lyon in Missouri:
His employee status didn't entitle him to one, but Magdy on reception would slip him a key if Sabr greased him with a fifty. 2009, Dan Richardson, GOG - an End Time Mystery:
(informal, transitive) To cause to go easily; to facilitate.
(slang, transitive) To perform a landing extraordinarily smoothly.
To my amazement, I greased the landing despite the tricky crosswinds.
(slang, transitive) To kill.
(slang, transitive) To have sexual intercourse with.
I’m with a girl, call me Rick, I get my crank on
Choppa knock him out his briefs, ayy free willy
He a blood, why the fuck I’m greasin his bitty 2022 November 22, BLP Kosher, “Chopping Block” (track 3, 1:31 from the start), in BLP Kosher and The Magic Dreidel:
(obsolete) To cheat or cozen; to overreach.
You have greased him / For chewing love again in haste 1616–1619 (first performance), John Fletcher, “The Mad Lover”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
bg смазвам (put grease or fat on something) · ca greixar (put grease or fat on something) · fi rasvata (put grease or fat on something) · cs potřít (put grease or fat on something) · fr lubrifier (to perform a landing extraordinarily smoothly) · mk подмачкува (put grease or fat on something) · hu zsíroz (put grease or fat on something) · ru смазывать (put grease or fat on something) · ka გაზეთავს (put grease or fat on something) · sv smörja (put grease or fat on something) · ru подма́слить (to bribe) · de schmieren (to bribe) · fi voidella (to kill) · ota یاغلامق (put grease or fat on something) · mk замастува (put grease or fat on something) · el γρασάρω (put grease or fat on something) · hu olajoz (put grease or fat on something) · cs promazat (put grease or fat on something) · es engrasar (put grease or fat on something) · nl smeren (to bribe) · pt engraxar (put grease or fat on something) · mn тослох (put grease or fat on something) · fi lahjoa (to bribe) · ru смазать (put grease or fat on something) · la lūbricō (put grease or fat on something) · pt untar (put grease or fat on something) · nl invetten (put grease or fat on something) · uk зма́щувати (put grease or fat on something) · hu megveszteget (to bribe) · nl omkopen (to bribe) · ru прикончить (to kill) · fi öljytä (put grease or fat on something) · es impingar (disused) (put grease or fat on something) · cs namazat (put grease or fat on something) · ru подма́зывать (to bribe) · fi voidella (put grease or fat on something) · uk змасти́ти (put grease or fat on something) · fi laskeutua todella pehmeästi (to perform a landing extraordinarily smoothly) · fur ongi (put grease or fat on something) · ga bealaigh (put grease or fat on something) · az yağlamaq (to bribe) · tl grasahan (put grease or fat on something) · ru подма́зать (to bribe) · yi שמירן (to bribe) · fr graisser la patte (to bribe) · fur onzi (put grease or fat on something) · fi voidella (to bribe) · ka გაქონავს (put grease or fat on something) · yi שמירן (put grease or fat on something) · de schmieren (put grease or fat on something) · tpi grisim (put grease or fat on something) · cs vymastit (put grease or fat on something) · nl smeren (put grease or fat on something) · de bestechen (to bribe) · ru подма́сливать (to bribe) · mk намастува (put grease or fat on something) · ro unge (put grease or fat on something) · fr corrompre (to bribe) · bg подкупвам (to bribe) · hu megken (to bribe)