tung oil

noun

: a pale yellow pungent drying oil obtained from the seeds of tung trees and used chiefly in quick-drying varnishes and paints and as a waterproofing agent

Examples of tung oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Huang said the red voluminous Chen Peng look, on display on the ground floor among luxury accessories, came with an oilcloth bead embroidered hat decoration that uses national intangible cultural heritage technology, where natural waterproof tung oil is applied to the fabric. Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 3 Oct. 2024 Easily assembled out of pine, it can be topped with a weather vane, or coated with protective tung oil instead of paint. Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 31 Mar. 2023 The wood countertop is made from heart pine salvaged from a textile mill built in 1883; it is sealed with Waterlox, a food-safe tung oil. Andrea Caughey and Mike Grady, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2021 Finish with a wipe-on coat of tung oil to the legs and slats. Ricard Romanski, Popular Mechanics, 8 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of Chin (Beijing) tóngyóu

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tung oil was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near tung oil

Cite this Entry

“Tung oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tung%20oil. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tung oil

noun
ˈtəŋ
: an oil that is obtained from the seeds of any of several trees and especially from an Asian tree widely grown in warm regions and that is used chiefly in quick-drying varnishes and paints and for waterproofing

More from Merriam-Webster on tung oil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!