oil smeller (oilsmel"er)

A person who pretends to be able to locate oil-bearing strata, and to locate positions for succe ful well boring, by the sense of smell, and who makes a profe ion or trade of this pretension. In the earlier history of petroleum in the United States, this kind of quackery was much more common than now. oil-spring (oil's pring), n. 1. A spring the water of which contains more or le intermingled oily (hydro carbonaceous) matter.-2. A fi ure or an area from or over which bituminous matter (petroleum or maltha) oozes. measures. The petroleum of the oil - springs of Paint Creek has had its home in the great Conglomerate at the base of the Coal Proc . Amer . Philol . Soc., Χ. 42. oil-stock (oil's tok), n. A ve el used to contain holy oil; a chrismatory.