oleaginous

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The Word of the Day for January 18 is:

oleaginous   \oh-lee-AJ-uh-nus\   adjective 
     1 : resembling or having the properties of oil : oily; also : containing 
or producing oil
    *2 : marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality 

Example sentence:
     Kelly spoke to her boss with an oleaginous deference that made her 
coworkers cringe.

Did you know? 
     The oily "oleaginous" slipped into English through Middle French, coming 
from the Latin "oleagineus," meaning "of an olive tree." "Oleagineus" itself is 
from the Latin "olea," meaning "olive tree," and ultimately from the Greek 
"elaia," meaning "olive." "Oleaginous" was at first used in a literal sense, as 
it still can be. An oleaginous substance is simply oily, and an oleaginous 
plant produces oil. The word took on its extended "ingratiating" sense in the 
19th century. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. 





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