storm oil

noun

Oil carried by a ship and dispersed into an area of water to calm it (as it absorbs some of the energy of waves, and covers a large area in a slick film upon which wind can get less traction to produce waves).

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Meanings

nounstorm oil (uncountable)
  1. uncountableOil carried by a ship and dispersed into an area of water to calm it (as it absorbs some of the energy of waves, and covers a large area in a slick film upon which wind can get less traction to produce waves).

    While bound east, latitude 41 degrees, longitude 56 degrees 54 minutes, during a northerly gale with very high rolling seas, used storm oil through forward waste pipe with good effect.

    1914, Leslie's, page 322
    2 more examples

    With the appearance of more modern ships, storm oil lost much of its importance, but even today power-driven U. S. merchant ships of more than 200 gross tons are required to carry 30 gallons of it and those of 5000 tons or more ...

    1956, All Hands, page 15

    The diameter at the mouth is 36 inches; the length is approximately 54 inches, with a 1-gallon storm oil container. This would be a very awkward item to stow on board, to say nothing about storing additional storm oil.

    2000, Earl R. Hinz, Heavy Weather Tactics Using Sea Anchors & Drogues, Paradise Cay Publications, →ISBN, page 151

Translations

German Wellenberuhigungsöl, Wellenöl
  • Wellenberuhigungsöloil
  • Wellenöloil
Hebrew שֶׁמֶן סְעָרָה
  • שֶׁמֶן סְעָרָה (shemen se'ara)oil
Cite this entry
APA

storm oil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/storm%20oil

MLA

“storm oil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/storm%20oil. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “storm oil,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/storm%20oil.

Source: storm oil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.