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| any saline or salty solution |
| a colorless, flammable gas, C4H10, a saturated aliphatic existing in two isometric forms: used chiefly in the manufacture of rubber and as fuel |
| sperm oil | |
| —n | |
| an oil obtained from the head of the sperm whale, used as a lubricant | |
sperm oil
pale yellow oil obtained with spermaceti from the head cavity (spermaceti organ) and blubber of the sperm whale. Formerly used as a superior lighting oil and later as a lubricant, it was little used in the modern period apart from in certain toiletries and pharmaceuticals, although in 1950 advances in oil chemistry allowed it to be used in large quantities for the manufacture of soap.
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