A lubricant is something slippery — usually oil or grease — that you put between two surfaces so they can rub without sticking or wearing out. Engines, bicycle chains, door locks and factory machines all need it. Without lubricant, metal screams and parts die young.

A lubricant它 is something slippery是一種滑滑的東西 usually oil or grease通常是油或油脂 that you put between two surfaces塗在兩個表面之間 so they can rub without sticking or wearing out讓它們可以摩擦而不會卡住或磨損 Engines, bicycle chains, door locks and factory machines引擎、腳踏車鏈條、門鎖和工廠機器 all need it都需要它 Without lubricant沒有lubricant metal screams金屬會發出尖銳聲響 and parts die young零件也會提早壞掉

Mechanics often just say oil or grease; lubricant is the slightly more careful, technical word.

Mechanics often just say oil or grease技師通常就直接說oil或grease lubricant它 is the slightly more careful, technical word則是比較講究、比較技術性的說法

Though actually, people also stretch it: a “social lubricant” is something (often alcohol) that makes talking easier, as if conversation were a machine that needed oil. The short form lube is informal, and that short form also has a sexual use, so the full word is safer when you mean engines.

Though actually不過其實 people also stretch it大家也會把這個字用得更廣 a “social lubricant”a social lubricant（社交潤滑劑） is something (often alcohol)是指某樣東西（通常是酒） that makes talking easier能讓聊天更容易 as if conversation were a machine that needed oil好像對話是一台需要上油的機器 The short form lube縮寫lube is informal是口語說法 and that short form also has a sexual use這個縮寫也有性方面的用法 so the full word is safer when you mean engines所以講引擎的時候用完整的字比較保險

Cooking oil is not a machine lubricant, even though it is oily.

Cooking oil食用油 is not a machine lubricant不是機器用的lubricant even though it is oily就算它也是油油的