greasy en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡɹi.zi/ Scotland, Ireland, some speakers in Birmingham
- /ˈɡɹiː.zi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈɡɹiː.si/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈɡɹi.si/ (General-American)
- /ˈɡɹi.zi/ (General-American, Southern, US, especially)
Etymology
From Middle English gresi, gressy, equivalent to grease + -y.
Meanings
-
Having a slippery surface; having a surface covered with grease.
it was in the garage that Alec worked, […] doing mysterious greasy things. Grease blackened his hairy legs; grease had turned his white canvas shoes black; grease blackened his hands even beyond the wrist; grease made his short working trousers black and stiff. Yet he had the gift, which Mr Biswas admired, of being able to hold a cigarette between greasy fingers and greasy lips without staining it.
1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, London: André Deutsch, Part One, Chapter 2, p. 54:a greasy mineral
[…] mechanic slaves With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall Uplift us to the view […]
c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
-
Containing a lot of grease or fat.
With a skin full of alcohol and a probable overwhelming desire for a greasy kebab, I had evidently got myself into such a state that I was unable to locate the correct door to the fast food shop.
2010, Gavin Hoffen, Dandelion, page 3:c. 1795, Margaret Taylor, Mrs. Taylor’s Family Companion: or The Whole Art of Cookery Display’d, London: W. Lane, “To fry flat Fish,” p. 37, Before you dish them up, lay them upon a drainer before the fire sloping, for two or three minutes, which will prevent their eating greasy.
Nigel and Richard Bertinet go for butter. Jamie and Nigella both opt for olive oil, and Garten uses a mixture, spreading the bread generously with butter, then topping it with garlic and herbs in olive oil. Oil, to my taste, simply makes the bread seem greasy: it's great for dipping, but it doesn't seem to soak into the bread in the same way as butter – I've probably just got hopelessly rich Anglo-Saxon tastes, but for me, it's butter all the way.
2012 May 3, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook perfect garlic bread”, in the Guardian:
-
Oily in manner; obsequious.
He does not impress me favourably. He is glib, ingratiating, and distinctly 'greasy.' He has a ready answer for everything almost before the question is out of your mouth.
1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
-
(slang) Shady, sketchy, dodgy, detestable, unethical.
Julian: We're gonna fill the trailers up with furniture all right, boys, but we're gonna rent them out by the hour. Bubbles: Aw, that's greasy.
2004 April 25, “Trailer Park Boys episode "Rub N Tiz'zug"”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
-
(obsolete) Fat, bulky.
Let’s consult together against this greasy knight.
c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
-
(obsolete) Gross; indelicate; indecent.
Now I am perfect hate, I lou’d but three things in the world, Philosophy, Thrift, and my self. Thou hast made me hate Philosophy. A Vsurers greasie Codpeece made me loath Thrift: but if all the Brewers Iades in the town can drug me from loue of my selfe, they shall doo more then e’re the seuen wise men of Greece could […]
1601, John Marston, Jack Drum’s Entertainment, London: Richard Olive, act I:
- (of a horse) Afflicted with the disease called grease.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| greasiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| greasier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| greasey | alternative, rare | lexicographic |
Deriveds
ungreasy · greasiness · overgreasy · greasily · greasy spoon · greasy kid's stuff · nongreasy · greasy pole
Translations (48)
de schmierig (having a slippery surface) · la unctus (having a slippery surface) · cs mastný (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · mi hinuhinu (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · uk масни́й (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · pt engordurado (having a slippery surface) · ca greixós (having a slippery surface) · unm shame (having a slippery surface) · cs mastný (having a slippery surface) · eo grasa (having a slippery surface) · pl ociekający tłuszczem (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · unm shamësi (having a slippery surface) · sv flottig (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · he שַׁמְנוּנִי (having a slippery surface) · de fettig (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · ar دُهْنِيّ (having a slippery surface) · es graso (having a slippery surface) · cmn 膩 /腻 (having a slippery surface) · hu zsíros (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · ru ско́льзкий (having a slippery surface) · is fitugur (having a slippery surface) · es grasoso (having a slippery surface) · uk са́льний (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · grc λιπαρός (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · it viscido (having a slippery surface) · oc graissós (having a slippery surface) · bg хлъзгав (having a slippery surface) · bg мазен (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · de rutschig (having a slippery surface) · fi rasvainen (having a slippery surface) · es grasiento (having a slippery surface) · ga bealaithe (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · bg тлъст (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · fur ont (having a slippery surface) · fi öljyinen (having a slippery surface) · ga gréisceach (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · cy seimlyd (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · ja 脂っこい (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · fi rasvainen (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · ru жи́рный (having a slippery surface) · ru са́льный (having a slippery surface) · tr yağlı (having a slippery surface) · uk жи́рний (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · fi öljymäinen (having a slippery surface) · es resbaloso (having a slippery surface) · ga gréisceach (having a slippery surface) · pl tłusty (Containing a lot of grease or fat) · uk мастки́й (Containing a lot of grease or fat)