LUBRICATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lubricate mean? 

• LUBRICATE (verb)
  The verb LUBRICATE has 3 senses:

1. have lubricating properties

2. apply a lubricant to

3. make slippery or smooth through the application of a lubricant

  Familiarity information: LUBRICATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LUBRICATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they lubricate    ... he / she / it lubricates   
Past simple: lubricated   
Past participle: lubricated   
-ing form: lubricating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Have lubricating properties

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

the liquid in this can lubricates well

Hypernyms (to "lubricate" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

lubricant (a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery)

lubrication (the condition of having been made smooth or slippery by the application of a lubricant)

lubricator (a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Apply a lubricant to

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

lube; lubricate

Context example:

lubricate my car

Hypernyms (to "lubricate" is one way to...):

fill; fill up; make full (make full, also in a metaphorical sense)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something with something

Derivation:

lubricant (a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery)

lubrication (an application of a lubricant to something)

lubrication (the condition of having been made smooth or slippery by the application of a lubricant)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make slippery or smooth through the application of a lubricant

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

lubricate the key

Hypernyms (to "lubricate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

lubricant (a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery)

lubrication (an application of a lubricant to something)

lubrication (the condition of having been made smooth or slippery by the application of a lubricant)

 Context examples 

However, other factors also affect a glacier's rate of flow, such as whether water is lubricating the glacier's base so that it can slide more easily.

(NASA Finds Asian Glaciers Slowed by Ice Loss, NASA)

A liquid, peritoneal fluid, lubricates the surface of this tissue.

(Peritoneal Disorders, NIH)

A liquid that is made in the abdominal cavity to lubricate the surface of the tissue that lines the abdominal wall and pelvic cavity and covers most of the organs in the abdomen.

(Peritoneal fluid, NCI Dictionary)

The small amount of fluid that is generated in the abdominal cavity to lubricate the peritoneum.

(Peritoneal fluid, NCI Thesaurus)

The cartilage has special properties that enable it to absorb energy, bear weight, and lubricate the joints so they can function seamlessly.

(Stem cells grown on scaffold mimic hip joint cartilage, NIH)

The stability of an ice sheet is closely related to how much water lubricates it from below, allowing glaciers to slide more easily.

(Hot News from the Antarctic Underground, NASA)

Nitrobenzene is primarily used in the manufacture of aniline, but is also used in the manufacture of lubricating oils, dyes, drugs, pesticides, and synthetic rubber.

(Nitrobenzene, NCI Thesaurus)

Upon application of the drops into the eye, carboxymethylcellulose sodium lubricates the eye and prevents or relieves dryness and irritation.

(Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium-containing Eye Drop, NCI Thesaurus)

A gland in the margins of the eyelids that opens into the follicles of the eyelashes and produces secretions that lubricate the eyeball.

(Gland of Moll, NCI Thesaurus)

The clear viscous liquid produced by the bulbourethral (Cowper) gland that lubricates the urethra in preparation for the passage of sperm.

(Bulbourethral Gland Secretion, NCI Thesaurus)