grease

▪ I. grease, n.
    (griːs)
    Forms: 3–5 grece, 4 grees(s)e, 4–5 grese, grees, greece, (4 greis, -ys, 5 gris, gresse, gres, 6 gress, 7 greese), 6–7 greace, 6– grease. See also creesh.
    [a. OF. graisse, greisse, gresse, craisse, creisse, cresse (mod.F. graisse) = Pg. graixa, It. grascia:— popular L. *crassia, f. crassus (F. gras) adj., fat; cf. the synonymous Sp. grasa, It. grassa, which represent the fem. of the adj.]
    † 1. a. The fat part of the body of an animal; also, corpulence, fatness. Obs.

a 1340 Hampole Psalter xvi. 11 Bestis þat waxis iolife when þai ere ful of grese. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. lvii. (1495) 173 The marowe of the bones is lyke to fatnesse or to greys. c 1400 Destr. Troy 3838 Polidarius was..Full grete in the grippe, all of grese hoge. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. cxiii. (1869) 59 Thou art to fat and haste to miche grees vnder the wynge. 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. C iij, Howe many maners of greas be there? Answere. Two. The one is withoutforth nere to the skynne, & that proprely is called adeps or fatnes. And y⊇ other is inwarde & nyghe to the bely, & proprely is called auxunge or fat grease. 1638 F. Junius Paint. of Ancients 246 Every Artificer must know..that he likewise must lose some grease and part with his grosse humors if ever he meaneth to be..strong. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 123 So he might take down our Grease and Luxury, and keep the English courage in breath and exercise.

    b. Chiefly in Hunting. The fat of a boar, hare, hart, etc. in the time or season of grease: when the game is fat and fit to kill. in grease, in prime or pride of grease: fat and fit for killing; also transf. of a hawk or horse. deer of grease, goose of grease, hart of grease (see hart 1 b), hen of grease, etc.: a fat deer, goose, etc.

c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 64 Whan Harald or þe kyng wild com þider eftsons In þe tyme of g[r]ese, to tak þam venysons. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 658 That nane werreye my wylde, botte Waynour hir seluene, And þat in þe sesone whene grees es assignyde. c 1440 Ipomydon (ed. Kölbing) 3571 A noble dere off gresse. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 409 Capon & hen of hawt grees þus wold þey be dight. 1513 Bk. Keruynge in Babees Bk. 272 Capon or henne of grece. 1576 Turberv. Venerie 217, I have termed their fatte greace and so is it to be called of all beastes which praye. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 311 Foundering cometh when a Horse is heated, being in his grease and very fat. 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry iii. xiv. (1660) 166 The fat of a Boare and Hare is termed Greace. 1615 Latham Falconry (1633) 42 When she [your Hawke] is in the prime of her grease, the least heat she can take is all too much. 1667 Dryden & Newcastle Sir M. Mar-all iv. i. D.'s Wks. 1883 III. 56 Crammed capons, pea-hens, chickens in the grease. 1678 Ray Willughby's Ornith. App. 409 There is a scurvy quality in some Hawks proceeding from pride of grease, or being high kept. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Hounds, For entring the Hound at a Hart or Buck, let him [sc. the Hart or Buck] be in prime of Grease. 1814 Scott Wav. xii, The roe..never being in what is called pride of grease, he is also never out of season. 1881 Greener Gun 509 The harts are ‘in grease’ from August to the middle of October.

    † c. Short for hart or deer of grease (see 1 b). Obs.

c 1440 Ipomydon (Kölbing) 370 Tomorrow..Loke ye be all redy dight..In the forest to take my grese.

    d. Phrases (chiefly fig.), as to chafe, fret, fry, melt, stew, sweat in one's own grease (cf. fry v.¹ 3). to melt one's grease: to exhaust one's strength by violent efforts.

13..–1684 [see fry v.1 3]. a 1569 A. Kingsmill Man's Est. viii. (1580) 41 Must we needes be still sweating in the greace of our own fleshly wickednesse? 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. i. 69 Till the wicked fire of lust haue melted him in his owne greace. 1608 R. Armin Nest Ninn. (1880) 59 There hee sat fretting in his owne grease. c 1645 Howell Lett. i. iv. xv. (1655) I. 181 The adventurous Earl Henry of Oxford..was set upon a desperat Work, wher he melted his grease, and so..died. 1663 Tuke Adv. Five Hours i. in Anc. Brit. Drama III. 415/1 There they stew In their own grease till morning. ? 17.. R. Hood & Gold. Arrow in Child Ballads (1888) III. 224/2 So we'll leave him chafing in his grease. 1838 Southey Doctor cxliv. V. 96 The day was exceedingly hot, and..Rubios's horse was overheated, and, as the phrase was, melted his grease.

    2. a. The melted or rendered fat of animals, esp. when it is in a soft state: often with a qualifying n., specifying the kind of fat, as bear's grease, goose-grease, swine's grease, etc.; † white grease, lard. Hence, by extension, oily or fatty matter in general, esp. such as is used as a lubricant.

c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 12/375 Þat fuyr was i-maud of col and grece. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8485 Hii..wilde fur wiþ pich & grece wiþ ginnes In caste. 13.. Coer de L. 1552 Talwgh and grese menge alsoo. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 63 Egges yfryed with grece. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 14 Gode brothe with wyte grece thou noȝt forsake. c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. 8 Take oynonys, and schrede hem..an frye in a panne of fayre grece. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §43 Let thy terre be medled with oyle, gose grease, or capons grease. 1545 T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde (1564) 62 b, Annoynt..with..some of the greases spoken of before. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 16 They delight to..make their skin glister with grease and char-cole beat together. 1678 Massacre Irel. 6 One fat man they murthered and made Candles of his grease. 1783 Johnson in Boswell 18 Apr., They..extract a grease from them [bones] for greasing wheels. 1816 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 821 heading, Taking grease out of paper. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 172 Causing the piston-rod to work through a close collar stuffed with hemp and grease. 1889 Scribner's Mag. Aug. 215/2 The expenditure for lubricating oils, waste, and greases alone amounts to more than $150,000 per annum.

    b. in various expressions, with reference to the qualities of grease, as oiliness, combustibility, etc.

1650 Sc. Metr. Ps. cxix. 70 As fat as grease they be. 1843 Haliburton Attaché II. xii. 211 As slick as grease. 1860 Sala Looking at Life 147 His goods absuming away from him like grease in fire.

    † c. A salve (for the scab in sheep). Obs.

1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §44 Those that be wasshen, wyll not take scabbe after (if they haue sufficient meate) for that is the beste grease that is to a shepe, to grease hym in the mouthe with good meate.

    d. dial. Butter; spec. rancid or inferior butter.

1788 W. Marshall Yorksh. II. 196 The firsts and seconds [of butter] go to the London market, the ‘grease’ to the woollen-manufactory in the west of Yorkshire. Ibid. 333 Grease, rancid butter, of the lowest degree. 1919 Athenæum 8 Aug. 727/2 When ‘gyppo’ or ‘grease’ was asked for at mealtimes, gravy or butter (?) was meant. 1928 Papers Mich. Acad. Sci. & Arts X. 297 Grease, butter. 1953 J. Masefield Conway (ed. 2) iii. 165 As to the food..we had many names for it;..grease for butter.

    3. A disease which attacks the heels of a horse (see quot. 1865).

1674 Lond. Gaz. No. 898/4 A Chesnut coloured Horse,..his grease faln into his Legs. Ibid. 962/4 One black Gelding,..the Greece in his Heels behind of both Feet. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 172 There are some gummy-leg'd Horse very apt to the Grease and Scratches. 1799 Med. Jrnl. I. 2 What farriers term the grease in the heels of horses. 1865 Youatt Horse xv. (1872) 354 Grease is a specific inflammation of the sebaceous follicles of the skin of the heels..followed by an increased morbid secretion.

    4. The oily matter in wool; also, wool before it is cleansed of this. in the grease: that has not been cleansed after shearing.

1835 Ure Philos. Manuf. 98 Shreds of flannel which having been freed from grease by washing, are readily moistened. 1863 S. Butler 1st Yr. in Canterbury Settlement x. 160 If you wash [the sheep]..you should do it thoroughly..otherwise you had better shear in the grease i.e. not wash. Wool in the grease weighs about one third heavier. 1886 Harris Techn. Fire Insur., Wool ‘in the grease’, that is, in the fleece, as it is taken from the sheep. 1895 Daily News 3 Oct. 7/4 Merino wools in the grease. 1898 Johannesburg Star 19 Mar. 1/2 The Colonial wool auction was opened on Tuesday..Grease showed a farthing advance on last sales rates.

    5. slang and dial. (See grease v. 4.) a. Money given as a bribe. b. Flattery, wheedling, ‘soft sawder’.

1823 ‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of Turf, Grease, a bonus given to promote the cause of anyone. 1877 N.W. Linc. Gloss., Grease, flattery. ‘I should like him a vast sight better if he hed n't so much of his grease’. 1959 N. Mailer Advts. for Myself (1961) 123 You should have seen the grease job I gave to Carter. I'm dumb, but man, he's dumber.

    6. attrib. and Comb., as grease-maker, grease-mark; grease-free, grease-laden, grease-sodden, grease-spotted adjs.; grease-ball, (a) a medicinal ball of grease for giving to a horse; (b) U.S. slang, a derogatory term for a foreigner, esp. applied to one of Mediterranean or Latin American origin; grease-band (see quot. 1953); hence grease-band v. trans.; grease bird, a name for the Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis); grease boil N.Z., a boil caused by contact with the grease in sheep's wool; grease-box = grease-pot; also grease axle box (see quot.); grease-bush = grease-wood; grease-cap = greaser 1 d; grease-cock, cup, a cock or cup by means of which machinery is supplied with grease; † grease-fallen a., affected with ‘grease’ (sense 3); grease-fish = candle-fish (see candle n. 7); † grease grown a., grown greasy or fat; grease-gun (see quot. 1963); † grease-heels = sense 3; grease-horn, a horn in which grease is carried for lubricating purposes; hence fig. (dial.), a flatterer; grease-jack, ‘an apparatus for improving the finish of leather’ (Cent. Dict.); grease-man, one employed to grease machinery; † grease-molten a. (see quot.); grease monkey slang, a mechanic; grease mould (see quot.); grease-paint, a composition used by actors in painting their faces; grease-pan (see quot. 1960); grease-patch, a piece of greased cloth in which the bullets of some kinds of rifles were wrapped (see patch n.); grease-pot, a vessel containing grease for lubricating, etc.; spec. in Archery and in Tin-plating (see quots.); grease-pox, the disease produced by inoculation from the ‘grease’ (see 3) of a horse's heels; grease-proof a., impermeable to grease; grease-season, -time, the period when the deer are ‘in grease’; grease-spot, (a) a spot of grease (on clothes, etc.); (b) slang (see quot. 1860); (c) a spot of grease used in photometry; so grease-spot photometer; grease-tight a. = grease-proof adj.; grease-trap, an appliance for catching grease in a drain (cf. fat-trap, fat n.² 6 c); grease-wood, a name for various stunted and prickly chenopodiaceous shrubs, of the genera Sarcobatus, Atriplex, etc., which contain oil and are found in dry alkaline valleys of the western U.S.

1926–7 Army & Navy Stores Catal. p. xlv/5 *Grease Balls. 1934 Amer. Ballads & Folk Songs (1957) 559 Our grease-ball is a goddam dirty bum. 1958 S. Ellin Eighth Circle (1959) ii. xvii. 176 A certain Mr. Garc{iacu}a—some greaseball who runs a lunch stand. 1969 I. Kemp Brit. G.I. in Vietnam xii. 193 The gunner was..Rick Francese; tormented with such unflattering names as ‘Wop’ and ‘Greaseball’ and mercilessly teased..about his Sicilian extraction, he was at the same time universally liked and enormously respected.

1900 W. D. Drury Bk. Gardening 1093 *Grease-bands put round the trees..will prevent the females from ascending. Ibid. 1100 As a preventive measure all orchard trees should be grease⁓banded in autumn, using Willesden or similar grease⁓proof paper. 1930 J. Coutts et al. Compl. Bk. Gardening 704 The stake supporting the tree must also be grease⁓banded. 1953 Brit. Commonw. Forest Terminol. I. 71 Grease band, a band of sticky or greasy material applied to a stem, as a barrier to insects. 1965 Listener 7 Oct. 555/3 In really big fruit trees, you can get control of, say, caterpillar, by grease-banding now.

1892 W. Pike North. Canada 123 The Whisky Jack..In the mountains of British Columbia he is the Hudson's Bay bird or *grease bird.

1926 J. Devanny Butcher Shop vii. 73 Hone Reki is pretty bad with *grease boils. 1956 G. Bowen Wool Away! (ed. 2) iv. 52 When a shearer does get grease boils he should rest with the legs up.

1856 Ford Archery vii. 46 The *grease box is generally made of wood, horn, or ivory. 1888 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin. s.v. Axle-Box, Axle boxes are called oil axle boxes, or grease axle boxes, as they are constructed for using one or the other lubricant.

1875 N. Amer. Rev. CXX. 5 The valleys [are covered] with *greasebush and sage.

1924 A. W. Judge Mod. Motor Cars I. 245 Screw⁓down *grease caps are generally provided, and a turn should be given every time the car is used for more than a few miles.

1839 R. S. Robinson Naut. Steam Eng. 155 The instrument is then fixed in the *grease cock of the cylinder.

Ibid. 37 Its upper surface forms a *grease cup, where melted tallow, or oil, is kept constantly lubricating the piston.

1688 Lond. Gaz. No. 2386/4 A dark brown Gelding..a little *grease-fallen. 1711 Ibid. No. 4847/4 The further Foot behind Grease fallen.

1908 Practitioner Sept. 488 Cyllin obstetrical lubricant..has the advantage that it is *grease-free.

? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1101 *Greesse growene as a galte.

1917 Catal. T. Eaton Spring & Summer 282/1 in Shopper's View of Canada's Past (1969) 194 Ford *Grease and Oil Gun, made specially to fill rear axle housing with grease. 1923 Daily Mail 11 May 12, I liked very much the accessibility of all the greasers on the car. Every one can easily be reached with a grease gun without any acrobatic feats. 1963 R. F. Webb Motorists' Dict. 117 Grease gun, a tool or device designed to pump grease into the required place under high pressures.

1753 Bartlet Gentl. Farriery xxi. 190 An alterative for surfeits, molten grease, hide-bound, *grease-heels, &c.

1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 32 The tooles that mowers are to have with them, are sythe, shafte,..and *grease-horne. 1837 Lockhart Scott vii, A grease-horn for his scythe. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., A Greasehorn, a flatterer. 1857 C. Brontë Professor I. v. 76 Smoothfaced snivelling greasehorn!

1890 A. Conan Doyle Firm of Girdlestone (1926) 238 *Grease-laden hold.

1862 Mayhew Lond. Labour IV. 13 Soap Boilers and *Grease Makers.

1898 Century Mag. Jan. 403/2 Lever men, engineers and ‘*greasemen’ had rushed up from the engine-room.

1885 Mabel Collins Prettiest Woman vii, These walls..bore the *grease-marks of ages.

1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), *Grease-molten, a Distemper in a Horse, when his Fat is melted by over-hard Riding, or Labour.

1928 L. Gravatt Pioneers of Air 251 All the way down the line we find them from skilled draftsmen in a polished office to the ‘*grease monkeys’ with blackened faces and smeary over-alls. 1946 V. Tempest Near Sun viii. 63 Flight mechanics and fitters, known in the Battle of Britain as ‘grease monkeys’ but generally called in the Royal Air Force ‘Erks’. 1959 Times Lit. Suppl. 27 Nov. 700/3 In Australia he was impressed by the ‘grease⁓monkey’ at Broken Hill who could afford to run a racing stable.

1882 J. Smith Dict. Pop. Names Plants 185 Tallow stores are often infested with a microscopic fungus, known as *Grease Mould (Mucorini phycomyce).

1888 Pall Mall G. 1 Sept. 3/1 He only used such materials as [are] in every actor's make-up box—*grease-paint, rouge, lining-pencil, and powder. 1928 H. Crane Let. 27 Apr. (1965) 324 Hawaii..the Pollyanna greasepaint pinkpoodle paradise. 1944 L. MacNeice Christopher Columbus 16 The grease-paint voice will stick out all the more when there is no real grease-paint to look at. 1958 Listener 9 Oct. 578/1 ‘The Vortex’, faithfully performed in 1920 greasepaint voices, is a very poor play.

1936 Burlington Mag. July 26/2 Candlesticks with candle-holders and *grease-pans. 1960 H. Hayward Antique Coll. 134/1 Grease-pan, the circular dish beneath the nozzle of a candlestick into which grease from the burning candle might drip.

1887 Whitaker's Almanack 542/1 The *grease patch was discontinued with the adoption of the Minié rifle.

1801 T. Roberts Eng. Bowman 289 *Grease-pot, a small box..containing the composition used in lubricating the fingers of the shooting-glove. 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 1253 (Tin-plate) A range of rectangular cast-iron pots is set over a fire-flue..The first..is the tin-pot;..the third is the grease-pot.

1834 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) II. 356 *Grease-pox seems to have succeeded as well as small-pox.

1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. 573/1 Waxed Butter Paper, *grease proof. 1900 Grease-proof [see grease-band above]. 1910 Daily Chron. 8 Mar. 3/3 Each loaf..is packed and sealed in a paper wrapper, which is grease-proof and germ-proof. 1940 L. A. G. Strong Sun on Water 201 Secreted about her were various parcels of food, and it was the stiff greaseproof paper in which they were wrapped that gave off the cracklings.

a 1562 G. Cavendish Wolsey (1893) 137 His hyghnes rode in his progresse, with Mistresse Anne Boleyn in his company, all the *grece season.

1883 A. Thomas Mod. Housewife 126 A mere *grease-sodden mass.

1829 in Amer. Speech (1965) XL. 129, I hit a man..dere was nothing left, Sept a little *grease spot. 1839 Mag. Dom. Econ. IV. 214 *Grease-spots may be removed from woollen cloths by [etc.]. 1843 Haliburton Attaché II. viii. 143 If you was to look at me with a ship's glass you wouldn't see a grease spot of it in me. 1860 Slang Dict., Grease-spot, a minute remnant, the only distinguishable remains of an antagonist after a terrific contest. 1882 Encycl. Brit. XIV. 584/1 Bunsen has recently suggested the very simple expedient of making a grease-spot on white paper for photometric purposes. When the paper is equally illuminated from both sides, the grease-spot cannot be seen except by very close inspection... The amounts of light are as the squares of the distances of the sources from this point [sc. the grease-spot]. 1911 R. S. Clay Treat. Pract. Light xviii. 388 The grease-spot photometer is perhaps the most sensitive to scattered light. 1923 Glazebrook Dict. Appl. Physics IV. 416/2 As a convenient example, the simple form of the Bunsen grease-spot photometer may be described.

1824 in Spirit Publ. Jrnls. (1825) 346 His inexpressibles..were napless, *grease-spotted, and ventilated at the knees.

1925 A. W. Judge Mech. Car 163 The nipples are..*grease-tight and dust-excluding.

a 1562 G. Cavendish Wolsey (1893) 211 My lord contynued at Southwell untill the latter end of *grease tyme.

1884 G. E. Waring in Century Mag. Dec. 264/2 There have been invented various forms of *grease-trap.

1851 Mayne Reid Scalp Hunt. xi. 81 A plain covered with artemisia and clumps of hideous *greasewood. 1883 W. H. Bishop in Harper's Mag. Mar. 502/2 The ‘grease-wood’ is a large bush which is said to burn just as well green as dry.

▪ II. grease, v.
    (griːz, griːs)
    Forms: 4 greese, 5 grece, gresse, 6 grese, greace, 7 greaze, 6– grease.
    [f. prec. Cf. F. graisser (1539 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
    1. a. trans. To smear or anoint with grease.

c 1440 Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 237 Þe feendys grecyd here lyppes wyth here oynementys..& þanne þe folk iangelyd. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 46 Reynard thenne dyde grece his shoes..and dyd hem on. c 1500 Melusine xxi. 142 Flaxe grecyd with oyle and mixtyouned with brymstone. 1618 Barnevelt's Apol. D 3 b, By Gods grace. [note] Which lies in your bootes, after the kitchin-wench hath greased them. 1662 J. Davies tr. Mandelslo's Trav. 255 Their hair..grows not much, though they grease it perpetually. 1675 Wycherley Country Wife iii. i, A confessor! just such a confessor as he that, by forbidding a silly hostler to grease the horse's teeth, taught him to do 't. 1853 A. Soyer Pantroph. 178 Grease well the inside of a dish.

    b. To make greasy, to soil with grease or fat.

a 1613 Overbury Charac. Puny-Clarke Wks. (1856) 113 He..greases his breeches extremely with feeding without a napkin. 1648 Gage West Ind. iv. 14 In daily greazing his white habit with handling his fat Gammons of Bacon. 1704 Swift T. Tub §7. 144 A Treatise..never to be thumb'd or greas'd by Students. 1873 J. Richards Wood-working Factories 68 If the bearings have to be oiled in the usual manner, the belt is sure to become greased by the waste oil.

fig. 1893 ‘Q.’ [Couch] Delect. Duchy 66 A still black pool, greased with eddies.

    2. To apply a salve of tallow and tar to (sheep). Also absol.

c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 439 Þe þridde offiss þat falliþ to persouns is to greese þer scabbid sheep. 1401 Friar Daw's Reply in Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 63 Go, grees a shoep undir the taile. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §40 And than let the shepeherde go belte, grese, and handel all those that he hath drawen. 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 29 Before which time, wee cannot conveniently grease our lambes. Ibid., Yow are to see the weather sette att a certane before yow beginne to grease.

    3. a. To lubricate with grease.

1462 in Brit. Mag. (1834) VI. 263 Hys Fellowe schall greese ye bellys and Fynde gresse therto. 1530 Palsgr. 574/2 He greaseth his carte to make it go the better. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres v. iii. 134 To annoynt and grease the axle⁓trees of the carriages. 1780 Cowper Progr. Err. 439 The carriage bowls along and all are pleased, If Tom be sober, and the wheels well greased. 1851 D. Jerrold St. Giles xxii. 219 Silently went the window up..as though greased by some witch. 1885 Sir A. L. Smith in Law Times LXXIX. 331/2 To keep the machinery greased.

    b. transf. To make to run easily.

1883 R. Haldane Workshop Rec. Ser. ii. 165 Confectionary..Spinning..Boil clarified syrup to ‘caramel’..The moment it is at crack, add a little acid to ‘grease’ it.

    4. fig. a. With direct reference to the literal senses. Phr. to grease the wheels (fig.): to make things run smoothly; to provide the entertainment, pay the expenses.

c 1440 Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 260 As a carte-qweel, drye & vngrecyd, cryeth lowdest of oþere qwelys; So, þou drye & noȝt grecyd wyth grace grucchyst lowdest. 1575 Gascoigne David's Salut. to Betzabe 33 Posies 289 She greazde this guest with sause of Sorcerie. 1607 Shakes. Timon iv. iii. 195 Ingratefull man with Licourish draughts And Morsels Vnctious, greases his pure minde, That from it all Consideration slippes. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas ii. ix. ¶4 To-day, the wheels are greased by your humble servant. 1857 Sir A. H. Elton Below the Surface (1860) 327 The party I mean is a glutton for money, but I will do my best with him. I think a hundred pounds..would grease his wheels.

    b. To ply with money, to bribe; also, † to enrich; orig. in phrases to grease (a person's) hand or palm, † to grease (a person) in the hands, palm, fist. (Cf. F. graisser la patte à quelqu'un.) to grease the fat pig (or sow) (fig.): to give to those who do not lack.

1526 Skelton Magnyf. 438 Wyth golde and grotes they grease my hande. 1528 Roy & Barlowe Rede me (Arb.) 54 With rewardes they must hym greace. 1562 J. Heywood Dialogue containing Proverbs i. xi. sig. D4v What should we (quoth I) grease the fat sow in thars. 1573 Tusser Husb. lxviii. (1878) 159 How husbandrie easeth, to huswiferie pleaseth, And manie purse greaseth with siluer and gold. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 400 b, Y⊇ shavelynges..dare not abide to be greaced in the handes. 1591 Troub. Raigne K. John (1611) 20 The Pope and Popelings shall not grease themselues With gold and groates. 1648 Milton Tenure Kings 6 While pluralities greas'd them thick and deepe. 1651 Wood Life Aug. (O.H.S.) I. 178 His engineer was greased in the fist. 1670 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. 178 To grease a fat sow on the A... 1707 J. Stevens tr. Quevedo's Com. Wks. (1709) 249, I greas'd the Goaler..with three Pieces of Eight. 1791 ‘P. Pindar’ Works (1794) I. 287 ‘And then why vore?’ the peepel rail:— ‘To greaze a vat ould pig in the tail—Old Weymouth o' Long Leat.’ 1807 ‘Cervantes Hogg’ Rising Sun III. 42 You would imply that, if we were greased in the palm, we should, like them, be ready to turn a courtier. 1883 C. J. Wills Mod. Persia 294 In Persia, justice, though at times very blind, is never slow unless her palm is greased. 1923 Daily Mail 7 Aug. 8/6 These instances of extravagance, which seem to recall the old saying of greasing the fat pig.

    c. † To gull, cheat (obs.). Also dial., to flatter, wheedle.

1621 Fletcher Wildgoose Chase iv. ii, Am I greas'd once again? a 1625 ― Mad Lover v. iv, So; you are greas'd, I hope. (Aside.) 1634 Massinger Very Woman iv. iii, She's finely greased! 1877 Holderness Gloss., Grease, to flatter; to fawn upon.

    5. To cause (a horse) to become affected with ‘grease’. Also intr. of a horse: To become so affected.

1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1756) I. 341 More Horses are greased by bad looking to, than by hard Riding. Ibid., I have had but one [boy] that could truly be said to be so careful, that you could not grease one [horse] whilst under his Care. Ibid. 345 They would grease and scratch sooner before than behind. a 1845 Hood T. of Trumpet lv, The wishes that Witches utter Can..Grease horses' heels.

▪ III. grease
    obs. form of graze v.¹

Oxford English Dictionary