verb Street Slang

grease

GREESS · verb · slang

To bribe someone.

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Definitions

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To 'grease' someone (or 'grease a palm') is to bribe them, smoothing the way for illicit business.

“They greased the inspector to keep the club open.”
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grease In A Sentence

They greased the inspector to keep the club open.

Origin & Usage

English slang; from 'grease the palm,' recorded since the 16th century.

People Also Ask

What does 'grease' mean as a verb here?

To bribe someone, especially to smooth the way for illicit business, as in the fuller phrase 'grease someone's palm'.

Where does 'grease the palm' come from?

It is old English slang recorded since at least the 16th century, drawing on the image of oiling or greasing something to make it move smoothly.

How is 'grease' used in a sentence?

For example, 'They greased the inspector to keep the club open' means they paid him off to look the other way.

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