lamp oil

English

Alternative forms

• lamp-oil, lampoil

Etymology

From Middle English lamp oyl, lampehoyle, lamp oyle, lampe oyl, lampe oyle, equivalent to lamp +‎ oil. Compare West Frisian lampoalje (“lamp-oil”), Dutch lampolie (“lamp-oil”), German Lampenöl (“lamp-oil”), Danish lampeolie (“lamp-oil”), Swedish lampolja (“lamp-oil”), Icelandic lampaolía (“lamp-oil”).

Noun

lamp oil (countable and uncountable, plural lamp oils)

1. Any clean-burning oil used as fuel in an oil lamp.

   Near-synonym: (often synonymous) kerosene

   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 184:

     He was much pleased at the prospect of the oil he would get from him, turned the heavy creature from one side to the other, fondled him like a baby, and assured me he was a "stunning fat sea-cub," which should be welcomed at home for boot-grease and lamp-oil.

Anagrams

• oil lamp, oil palm, oilpalm, palm oil, palm-oil