Meaning & use
lubricities
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“lubricities” is a form of “lubricity”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountableformaltechnical
Slippery smoothness of a surface or substance, especially when it makes things slide or move easily.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun: it names a quality, not a countable object, so you say "the lubricity of the oil," not "a lubricity."
Patterns
- the lubricity of something
Engineers praised the lubricity of the new synthetic oil.
The lubricity of wet clay makes the slope dangerous to walk on.
They added graphite to increase the lubricity of the mixture.
noununcountableformalliterarydisapproving
A tendency to avoid clear answers or to behave in a shifty, evasive way.
Grammar: Also a mass noun, and mainly literary: it describes a habit of character rather than a single act.
Patterns
- the lubricity of someone
- someone's lubricity
Critics attacked the lubricity of a minister who never gave a straight reply.
His lubricity in negotiations frustrated even his own allies.
She distrusted the lubricity of his smile more than his words.
noununcountableformalold-fashioneddisapproving
An excessive interest in sexual pleasure; lewdness.
Grammar: A formal, old-fashioned use; it appears mostly in literary or moralizing writing, not in everyday speech.
Patterns
- the lubricity of something
The novel was condemned in its day for its supposed lubricity.
Sermons of the period warned against lubricity and idleness.
He wrote about the lubricity of the court with obvious disgust.
Word forms
| singular | lubricity |
|---|
Common combinations
- the lubricity of oil
- The lubricity of oil keeps the machine's parts from grinding.
- increase the lubricity
- A few drops of additive will increase the lubricity of the fuel.
- moral lubricity
- The essay attacks the moral lubricity of the ruling class.
- verbal lubricity
- His verbal lubricity let him promise everything and commit to nothing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- slipperiness
- The everyday word for a surface that is hard to grip; lubricity is more formal and often suggests a useful, engineered smoothness.
- evasiveness
- Fits better for a person who dodges questions; lubricity is rarer and carries a stronger hint of something oily or morally suspect.
- lewdness
- A direct word for sexual indecency; lubricity is old-fashioned and softer, used mainly in literary criticism.
Opposites
Word family
- lubricant noun
- A substance such as oil or grease used to reduce friction.
- lubricate verb
- To put oil or grease on something so its parts move smoothly.
- lubrication noun
- The act or process of applying a lubricant.
- lubricious adjective
- Formal word meaning lewd or, less often, slippery and smooth.
Commonly confused: lubricities or lubrication? lubricities or lubricious?
lubricities vs lubrication
Lubrication is the physical act of oiling something; lubricity is the quality of being slippery, or a moral sense of lewdness.
lubricities vs lubricious
This is the adjective; lubricity is the matching noun, so you say "the lubricity of the film," not "the lubricious of the film."
Practice
Which sentence uses "lubricity" most naturally?
Choose one answer.
"Lubricity" is a noun for the quality of being slippery, so "the lubricity of the engine oil" fits. Option 2 treats it as an event, option 3 uses it as a verb (the verb is "lubricate"), and option 4 uses it as an adjective (the adjective is "lubricious").
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lubricities”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.