grease

Where does the word "grease" come from? It comes from Latin crassus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Grease’s story begins in Latin: crassus meant “thick, fat.” The root of 'crass'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as graisse. Animal fat used in cooking and tanning. It reached English by 1300s as grease. 'grease someone's palm' dates from the 1500s. Today, grease means a thick oily substance.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient crassus "thick, fat", the root of 'crass'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval graisse "fat", animal fat used in cooking and tanning.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s grease "animal fat", 'grease someone's palm' dates from the 1500s.