train oil

Meanings

nountrain oil (countable and uncountable, plural train oils)

countableuncountableOil obtained from the blubber of marine mammals, especially whale oil.

nouna white to brown oil obtained from whale blubber; formerly used as an illuminant

Similar

Broader

animal oil

Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

From train (“train oil”) + oil, partial calque of Dutch traanolie (“whale oil”). See further etymology at train.

Cite this entry

APA

train oil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/train%20oil

MLA

“train oil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/train%20oil. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “train oil,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/train%20oil.