oiler

noun

oil·​er ˈȯi-lər How to pronounce oiler (audio)
1
: a person who oils something
2
: a receptacle or device for applying oil
3
oilers plural : oilskin sense 3
4
: an auxiliary naval vessel used for refueling at sea

Examples of oiler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In March, the Congressional Research Service said the average cost of building new fleet oiler ships at NASSCO had risen to $860 million each — up about $300 million from just a few years earlier. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2025 The oilers are particularly needed in the Indo-Pacific and Persian Gulf — areas regularly patrolled by warships based in San Diego, Hawaii, Washington state and sites in Japan. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025 One by open-source intelligence analyst MT Anderson said Russian ships, likely the Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Grigorovich frigates, the Novorossiysk Kilo-class submarine and oiler Vyazma were in a holding pattern five miles west of the port. Brendan Cole, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 The crew members who received permission to return to their home countries include a cook, several seamen, a fitter, an oiler and a general steward, now may be able to fly home. Madeleine O'Neill, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for oiler

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of oiler was circa 1846

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oiler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oiler. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

oiler

noun
oil·​er ˈȯi-lər How to pronounce oiler (audio)
1
: a person (as a worker) who oils something
2
: a device for applying oil
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