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Synonyms

oiler

American  
[oi-ler] / ˈɔɪ lər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that oils.

  2. a worker employed to oil machinery.

  3. any of several devices, other than pressure devices, for feeding lubricating oil to a bearing.

  4. an oilcan.

  5. Often oilers. an oilskin garment, especially a coat.

  6. a ship using oil as fuel.

  7. oil tanker.

  8. an oil well.

oiler British  
/ ˈɔɪlə /

noun

  1. a person, device, etc, that lubricates or supplies oil

  2. an oil tanker

  3. an oil well

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of oiler

First recorded in 1545–55; oil + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The memo calls for Navy Secretary John Phelan to select a new name for the fleet oiler.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2025

The Japanese identified the warships as the PLA Navy’s Guiyang and Qiqihar, along with the fleet oiler Taihu, spotted Friday near Rebun island near Hokkaido.

From Washington Times • May 10, 2023

After serving on a Navy oiler in the Atlantic briefly, he acted on a longstanding desire to be a flier and obtained a transfer to flight training with the Marines.

From New York Times • Nov. 13, 2022

It is accompanied by the Luyang-class Type 052D destroyer Chengdu and the Type 903 oiler Dongpinghu, the paper said, citing Japan’s Defense Ministry.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2022

He said, “I come to oiler my respects.”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.