English Explanatory Dictionary

social lubricant

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A food, beverage, drug or activity that helps people feel more comfortable in social occasions.

Word forms

social lubricant social lubricants

Etymology

By a metaphor in which facilitating human social interaction is portrayed as lubricating machinery (e.g., oiling the gears, greasing the wheels); in this regard, compare also lubrication payment.

Related words

icebreaker
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