What does greased mean?
Greased is the past-tense and participial form of grease, and it is also used adjectivally for something coated with oil, fat, or another lubricant. In a kitchen, a greased baking tray is one whose surface has been prepared to prevent food from sticking. In mechanical contexts, greased hinges, gears, or other moving parts operate more smoothly. Greased can also be figurative: a well-greased system or arrangement works efficiently, while a 'greased palm' refers to someone who has been paid or improperly influenced. The word is common in both British and American English and is generally neutral in tone when literal. Its brevity and vividness make it useful for describing both practical preparation and metaphorical smoothness. It should not be confused with 'grazed,' which means lightly touched or skimmed and sounds similar in some accents.
Coated or lubricated with grease or oil; figuratively, made smooth or effective in operation.
"The pan was greased before the vegetables were added."
The figurative sense is idiomatic and can imply especially smooth or suspiciously effective functioning.
To smear or coat with grease or oil; to lubricate.
"The technician greased the chain before replacing it."
Usually transitive and commonly used with mechanical equipment, hinges, pans, and similar objects.
From a greased baking tray to 'greased lightning,' this word moves quickly from kitchen lubricant to extraordinary speed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does greased come from?
Greased is a regular English formation made by adding the suffix -ed to grease, a verb that means to smear or lubricate with grease. Grease itself entered Middle English through Anglo-French gras, which is generally traced to Latin crassus, meaning 'thick' or 'fat.' English crass and related forms such as crassly and crassness come from the same Latin root, reflecting the older sense of thickness or coarseness.
Related word forms
How greased is actually used
The literal sense is neutral and common in culinary, mechanical, and industrial contexts. Figurative uses are more idiomatic and can imply that something has been made to work smoothly, sometimes through favors or payments; the bribery sense is chiefly informal and appears in fixed expressions.
Easily confused with greased
Greased means coated or lubricated with grease, whereas grazed means lightly touched or skimmed, as in a surface grazing a wall or an animal eating grass.