greasy

From Middle English gresi, gressy, equivalent to grease +‎ -y.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹi.si/, (especially Southern U.S.) /ˈɡɹi.zi/^[1]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹiː.si/
• (Scotland, Ireland, some speakers in Birmingham) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹi.zi/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːsi, -iːzi

greasy (comparative greasier, superlative greasiest)

1. Having a slippery surface; having a surface covered with grease.

   a greasy mineral

   • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     […] mechanic slaves
     With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall
     Uplift us to the view […]

   • 1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas‎, London: André Deutsch, Part One, Chapter 2, p. 54:

     it was in the garage that Alec worked, […] doing mysterious greasy things. Grease blackened his hairy legs; grease had turned his white canvas shoes black; grease blackened his hands even beyond the wrist; grease made his short working trousers black and stiff. Yet he had the gift, which Mr Biswas admired, of being able to hold a cigarette between greasy fingers and greasy lips without staining it.

2. Containing a lot of grease or fat.
   • c. 1795, Margaret Taylor, Mrs. Taylor’s Family Companion: or The Whole Art of Cookery Display’d, London: W. Lane, “To fry flat Fish,” p. 37,

     Before you dish them up, lay them upon a drainer before the fire sloping, for two or three minutes, which will prevent their eating greasy.

   • 2010, Gavin Hoffen, Dandelion, page 3:

     With a skin full of alcohol and a probable overwhelming desire for a greasy kebab, I had evidently got myself into such a state that I was unable to locate the correct door to the fast food shop.

   • 2012 May 3, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook perfect garlic bread”, in the Guardian‎:

     Nigel and Richard Bertinet go for butter. Jamie and Nigella both opt for olive oil, and Garten uses a mixture, spreading the bread generously with butter, then topping it with garlic and herbs in olive oil. Oil, to my taste, simply makes the bread seem greasy: it's great for dipping, but it doesn't seem to soak into the bread in the same way as butter – I've probably just got hopelessly rich Anglo-Saxon tastes, but for me, it's butter all the way.

3. (slang) Shady, sketchy, dodgy, detestable, unethical.
   • 2004 April 25, “Trailer Park Boys episode "Rub N Tiz'zug"”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎:

     Julian: We're gonna fill the trailers up with furniture all right, boys, but we're gonna rent them out by the hour.
     Bubbles: Aw, that's greasy.

4. (obsolete) Fat, bulky.
   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Let’s consult together against this greasy knight.

5. (obsolete) Gross; indelicate; indecent.
   • 1601, John Marston, Jack Drum’s Entertainment‎, London: Richard Olive, act I:

     Now I am perfect hate, I lou’d but three things in the world, Philosophy, Thrift, and my self. Thou hast made me hate Philosophy. A Vsurers greasie Codpeece made me loath Thrift: but if all the Brewers Iades in the town can drug me from loue of my selfe, they shall doo more then e’re the seuen wise men of Greece could […]

6. (of a horse) Afflicted with the disease called grease.

• greasily
• greasiness
• greasy kid's stuff
• greasy pole
• greasy spoon
• nongreasy
• ungreasy

• Gareys, Gearys, Yagers, gayers, gyrase, re-gays, yagers