Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "oleophilic" yana da alaƙa da ko sha'awar mai ko wasu abubuwan da ake kira hydrophobic. An samo kalmar daga kalmomin Helenanci "oleo," ma'ana mai, da "philia," ma'ana ƙauna ko sha'awa. A fannoni daban-daban kamar ilmin sinadarai, kimiyyar abin duniya, da injiniyanci, ana yawan amfani da kalmar don bayyana kayayyaki ko abubuwan da ke da alaƙa mai ƙarfi ko jan hankali ga mai, kitse, ko wasu abubuwan da ba na polar ba. Misali, wani saman oleophilic zai ja hankalin man fetur kuma ya sha, yayin da yake tunkude ruwa.