An oiler (also known as a "greaser") is a worker whose
main job is to oil machinery. In previous eras there were oiler positions in various industries, including
maritime work (naval and commercial), railroading, steelmaking, and mining. Today most such positions
have been eliminated through technological change; lubrication tends to require less human
intervention, so that workers seldom have oiling as a principal duty. In the days of ubiquitous plain
bearings, oiling was often a job description in and of itself.
Tongs are a tool used to grip and lift objects, of
which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. Some are merely large pincers or nippers, but
most fall into three classes:
Tongs which have long arms terminating in small flat circular ends of tongs and are pivoted close to the
handle, as in the common fire-tongs, used for picking up pieces of coal and placing them on a fire.
A sponge is a tool or cleaning aid consisting of soft, porous
material. Usually used for cleaning impervious surfaces, sponges are especially good at absorbing water
and water-based solutions
An insect repellent (also commonly called "bug spray") is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other
surfaces which discourages insects (and arthropods in general) from landing or climbing on that surface.
Insect repellents help prevent and control the outbreak of insect-borne (and other arthropod-bourne)
diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease, dengue fever, bubonic plague, and West Nile fever. Pest animals
commonly serving as vectors for disease include insects such as flea, fly, and mosquito; and the arachnid
tick.
A glove (Middle English from Old English glof) is a garment covering
the whole hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an
opening but no (or a short) covering sheath for each finger they are called fingerless gloves. Fingerless
gloves having one large opening rather than individual openings for each finger are sometimes called
gauntlets, though gauntlets are not necessarily fingerless. Gloves which cover the entire hand or fist but
do not have separate finger openings or sheaths are called mittens. Mittens are warmer than other
styles of gloves made of the same material because fingers maintain their warmth better when they are
in contact with each other. Reduced surface area reduces heat loss.