lubricated
Meaning
made smooth or slippery by applying a substance such as oil or grease.
to have applied a substance such as oil or grease to something to make it smooth or slippery.
Structure
Usage
the mechanic ensured all the moving parts were properly lubricated.
his well-lubricated speech flowed effortlessly at the ceremony.
after the storm, the roads were lubricated by a thin layer of ice, making driving hazardous.
Etymology
the word 'lubricated' originates from the latin adjective lubricus, meaning slippery. this latin term is believed to derive from the proto-indo-european root sleubh-, which conveyed the sense of slipping or sliding. the addition of the latin-derived verbal suffix '-ate' transformed the root into the verb 'lubricate', meaning to make slippery. the final '-ed' suffix, of germanic origin, then forms the past tense and past participle, which also functions as an adjective describing the state resulting from the action—something that has been made smooth or slippery.
Analysis
lubric (from latin lubricus, meaning slippery, smooth); ate (a verb-forming suffix from latin -atus); ed (an adjectival or past participle suffix from old english -ed, -od, -ad).