Meanings
plural palm oils · alternative palm-oil
- countableuncountableAn edible plant oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis).
Since the mid-1980s, when Indonesia first began to clear its bountiful forests on an industrial scale in favour of lucrative palm-oil plantations, “haze” has become an almost annual occurrence in South-East Asia.
2013 June 29, “Unspontaneous combustion”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 29 - countableslanguncountableMoney given as a bribe.
Synonyms: grease payment, lubrication payment, baksheesh
Synonyms & antonyms
nounMoney given as a bribe.
Origin
In the sense of a bribe, the phrase is a punning reference to the palm of the hand and also to oil as lubricant rather than foodstuff.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic زَيْت النَّخْلِ
- زَيْت النَّخْلِ (zayt an-naḵli)edible plant oil
Basque palmondo olio, palma olioa
- palmondo olioedible plant oil
- palma olioaedible plant oil
Bulgarian палмово масло
- палмово масло (palmovo maslo)edible plant oil
Catalan oli de palma
- oli de palmaedible plant oil
Chinese Mandarin 棕櫚油 /棕榈油
- 棕櫚油 /棕榈油 (zōnglǘyóu)edible plant oil
Czech palmový olej
- palmový olejedible plant oil
Danish palmeolie
- palmeolieedible plant oil
Dutch palmolie
- palmolieedible plant oil
Esperanto palmoleo
- palmoleoedible plant oil
Estonian palmiõli
- palmiõliedible plant oil
Finnish palmuöljy
- palmuöljyedible plant oil
French huile de palme
- huile de palmeedible plant oil
German Palmöl
- Palmöledible plant oil
Greek φοινικέλαιο
- φοινικέλαιο (foinikélaio)edible plant oil
Hungarian pálmaolaj
- pálmaolajedible plant oil
Indonesian minyak sawit
- minyak sawitedible plant oil
Irish ola phailme
- ola phailmeedible plant oil
Italian olio di palma
- olio di palmaedible plant oil
Japanese パーム油
- パーム油 (pāmuyu)edible plant oil
Korean 팜유
- 팜유 (pamyu)edible plant oil
Latvian palmu eļļa
- palmu eļļaedible plant oil
Lithuanian alyvpalmių aliejus
- alyvpalmių aliejusedible plant oil
Malay minyak kelapa sawit
- minyak kelapa sawitedible plant oil
Norwegian palmeolje
- palmeoljeedible plant oil
Persian روغن پالم, روغن نخل
- روغن پالم (rowġan-e pâlm)edible plant oil
- روغن نخل (rowġan-e naxl)edible plant oil
Polish olej palmowy
- olej palmowyedible plant oil
Portuguese azeite de dendê, óleo de palma
- azeite de dendêedible plant oil
- óleo de palmaedible plant oil
Romanian ulei de palmier
- ulei de palmieredible plant oil
Russian па́льмовое ма́сло
- па́льмовое ма́сло (pálʹmovoje máslo)edible plant oil
Slovak palmový olej
- palmový olejedible plant oil
Spanish aceite de palma
- aceite de palmaedible plant oil
Swahili mawese
- maweseedible plant oil
Swedish palmolja
- palmoljaedible plant oil
Thai น้ำมันปาล์ม
- น้ำมันปาล์ม (nám-man-bpaam)edible plant oil
Turkish palm yağı
- palm yağıedible plant oil
Ukrainian пальмова олія
- пальмова олія (palʹmova olija)edible plant oil
Welsh olew palmwydd
- olew palmwyddedible plant oil
Cite this entry
palm oil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palm%20oil
“palm oil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palm%20oil. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “palm oil,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palm%20oil.
Source: palm oil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.