lube, n. and v. Chiefly N. Amer. and Austral.
(l(j)uːb, luːb)
Colloquial shortening of lubricant n., lubrication, lubricate v. (cf. hydrolube). Freq. attrib., as lube bay, lube job, lube oil.
| 1934 Industr. & Engin. Chem. Feb. 194/2 Refineries where lube oil is not manufactured. 1947 Lubrication Engin. Sept. 26 (heading) Lube spots. 1951 Chem. & Engin. News 24 Dec. 5456/1 (heading) Synthetic lube oil announced by Defense Department. 1956 Ibid. 3 Sept. 4247/2 (heading) Better lubes needed. 1957 Casamassa & Bent Jet Aircraft Power Syst. (ed. 2) xiv. 195/1 On the rear face are mounted the main lube and scavenge pump [etc.]. 1961 B. Malamud New Life (1962) 259 He had once lubed Levin's car. 1962 Engineering 31 Aug. 285/2 A reinforced plastic coating can be laid on without putting the tank out of commission if the products are crude or lube oils. 1964 N.Z. Listener 11 Dec. 5/1 A new office girl passed the lube-bay... Windy was so upset he got grease all over everything. 1965 J. M. Cain Magician's Wife (1966) xv. 115 I'm just about due, I think, for the works—wash, lube job, tyre checks, gas—the usual. 1973 R. Hayes Hungarian Game liii. 323 The grease nipples were dry; the car needed a lube. 1973 Tucson (Arizona) Daily Citizen 22 Aug. 60/1 (Advt.), Clean and lube backing plates. |