Lard

Lard, the fat of the hog. Until after the first quarter of the 19th century lard was only used for culinary purposes and as the base of various ointments in medical use. The enormous extent, however, to which pork was raised in America rendered it necessary to find some other applications for so valuable a material, and large quantities were pressed at a low temperature, by which the stearine and oleine were separated. The former was used for candle-making; and the latter soon became an important article of commerce as a lubricant, under the name 'lard oil,' which was found to be a valuable lubricant for machinery. See OIL, STEARINE.