English
grease
Grease comes from Anglo-Norman grece, from Vulgar Latin *crassia ‘fat’, and ultimately from Latin crassus.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrassus‘fat, thick’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*crassia‘fat’reconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400grece
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1616–1619grease
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrassus‘fat, thick’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*crassia‘fat’reconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400grece
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1616–1619grease
Earliest quotation: 1616–1619, The Mad Lover: “You have greased him / For chewing love again…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kert- ‘to wind’
cartilage, cartilaginous, 7 more
through Latin crassus ‘fat, thick’
Today it means
noun Animal fat in a melted or soft state.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin crassus / grease