It is a common saying that water is a terrible lubricant. But, if you apply water to certain materials like glass, ice, soap, or tile, that surface becomes slippery when wet.
So what is the difference between a true lubricant, and something like water, which makes things slippery?
In: Chemistry
The Teflon on your frying pan is slippery, the butter between your pan and the pancakes is a lubricant
Lubricant implies the presence of a fluid between the two surfaces, but surfaces like ice, glass, Teflon can be slippery even when dry.
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