Vaseline, n.
(ˈvæsəliːn, -ɪn)
Also vaseline.
[Irreg. f. G. wasser water + Gr. ἔλ-αιον oil + -ine.]
a. A soft, greasy substance used as an ointment or lubricant, obtained by evaporating petroleum and passing the residuum through animal charcoal. (Cf. petrolatum.)
A proprietary term, introduced by R. A. Chesebrough in 1872.
| 1874 Eng. Mech. 25 Sept. 36 A new petroleum product has been introduced into the trade under the name of vaseline. 1876 Trans. Clinical Soc. IX. 171 Applied vaseline to his head whenever the cap was off. 1884 Pop. Sci. Monthly XXIV. 778 Palm oil and vaseline was sold for lubricating machinery. 1897, etc. [see petroleum jelly]. 1924, etc. [see proprietary a. 1 a]. 1927 Trade Marks Jrnl. 3 Aug. 1383/2 Vaseline 479,707. Petroleum Jelly and Disinfectant Soap for Veterinary use. Chesebrough Manufacturing Company Consolidated... 11th April 1927. 1930 A. Huxley Brief Candles 13 Hearts of putty, hearts of vaseline. 1965 [see soft ground s.v. soft a. 29]. 1974 Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer 26 Oct. 4-d/1 Walter Youngblood, one of his trainers, is smearing Vaseline on his face, torso, arms and legs. 1976 Botham & Donnelly Valentino xiv. 107 Vaseline, and other hair-care applications, would experience a significant sales-boost. 1978 J. Irving World according to Garp xix. 410 The Vaseline made his ear slippery. |
b. The greenish-yellow colour of Vaseline as used in the manufacture of glass; glassware of this colour.
| 1966 J. Laver Victoriana 168 The Victorians used a wide variety of colour in their glass—Bristol Blue..and the yellowy-green known as Vaseline. 1973 Washington Post 13 Jan. f1/7 (Advt.), Old glassware, Red Mark Prussia, Ruby, Vaseline, [etc.]. 1975 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 26 Oct. 30/8 Vaseline is a greenish yellow glassware resembling its namesake. It dates from 1870 to the present day. 1980 Times 1 Nov. 24/7 Its shade is made of vaseline glass—a turn of the century technique which Christopher Wray has reintroduced. |
Hence ˈvaseline v. trans., to lubricate, rub, or anoint with Vaseline; ˈvaselined ppl. a.; ˈvaselining vbl. n.
| 1891 Bicycling News April 117 My machine is all vaselined and put away. 1898 Westm. Gaz. 19 Dec. 2/1 A gentle hand had washed and vaselined and bandaged the..little heels. 1921 Librarian Nov. 74 The combination of vaselining and varnishing is the best thing for the text books. 1934 V. M. Yeates Winged Victory ii. ix. 262 His neck was still sore with all yesterday's twisting to watch his tail. He ought to have vaselined it last night. 1938 F. Chester Shot Full xii. 114 A coloured man, his hair..vaselined to stick up. 1942 R. W. Raven Surg. Care xviii. 138 A piece of vaselined-gauze should be placed lightly over the colostomy. 1965 ‘Malcolm X’ Autobiogr. iii. 55 He draped the towel around my shoulders, over my rubber apron, and began again vaselining my hair. 1977 Rolling Stone 16 June 39/1 Vaselined hair and a semidignified zoot suit. 1983 Times 21 Apr. 14/6 ‘Have you Vaselined your nipples?’ asked a solicitor from Peckham. |