SPERMOIL

Sperm oil

Sperm oil is a waxy liquid obtained from sperm whales. It is a clear, yellowish liquid with a very faint odor. Sperm oil has a different composition from common whale oil. Although it is called an "oil", it is technically a liquid wax, being mostly composed of wax esters with only a small proportion of triglycerides. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, sperm oil was prized as an illuminant for its bright, odorless flame and as a lubricant for its low viscosity and stability. It was supplanted in the late 19th century by superior alternatives such as kerosene and petroleum-based lubricants. With the 1987 international ban on whaling, sperm oil is ...

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sperm oil

Noun

  1. whale oil from a sperm whale


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: sperm oil
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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