Phrase guide

oil slick

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A thin film of oil floating on the surface of water, especially one that has leaked or been discharged from a ship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: oil spot, oilpatch

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: oil spot, oilpatch

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a thin film of oil floating on top of water (especially crude oil spilled from a ship)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: slick

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: öljylautta — thin film of oil floating on the surface of water
  • French: marée noire — thin film of oil floating on the surface of water
  • German: Ölspur — thin film of oil floating on the surface of water
  • German: Ölteppich — thin film of oil floating on the surface of water
  • Portuguese: maré negra — thin film of oil floating on the surface of water
  • Romanian: maree neagră — thin film of oil floating on the surface of water
  • Spanish: marea negra — thin film of oil floating on the surface of water