DictionaryRoot: oleum
Latin
oleum
oil
Forms
- oleum
- ole- — Used before other endings.
- oleo- — Used with a linking o in later compounds.
Origin
Borrowed from Greek elaion, “olive oil,” related to the olive-name elaia.
Note
The original association with olives broadened as other oils became familiar.
1 / 1
noun / verb
oil
OYL/ɔɪl/
A greasy liquid that does not mix with water.
Etymology
Latin oleum meant olive oil. English first used the word specifically for olive oil, then extended it to other fatty, greasy liquids, including petroleum.