Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The ester of glycerol and one, two, or three fatty acids.
  • noun Any of various soft, solid, or semisolid organic compounds constituting the esters of glycerol and fatty acids and their associated organic groups.
  • noun A mixture of such compounds occurring widely in organic tissue, especially in the adipose tissue of animals and in the seeds, nuts, and fruits of plants.
  • noun Animal tissue containing such substances.
  • noun A solidified animal or vegetable oil.
  • noun Obesity; corpulence.
  • noun Unnecessary excess.
  • adjective Having much or too much fat or flesh; plump or obese.
  • adjective Full of fat or oil; greasy.
  • adjective Abounding in desirable elements.
  • adjective Fertile or productive; rich.
  • adjective Having an abundance or amplitude; well-stocked.
  • adjective Yielding profit or plenty; lucrative or rewarding.
  • adjective Prosperous; wealthy.
  • adjective Thick; large.
  • adjective Puffed up; swollen.
  • transitive & intransitive verb To make or become fat; fatten.
  • idiom (a fat lot) Very little or none at all.
  • idiom (fat chance) Very little or no chance.
  • idiom (the fat is in the fire) Bad consequences are sure to follow; trouble lies ahead.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A large open vessel for water, wine, or other liquids; a tub; a cistern: now usually vat (which see).
  • noun A dry measure, generally equal to 9 bushels.
  • Having much flesh other than muscle; having an unusual amount of flesh; corpulent; obese: as, a fat man; a fat ox.
  • Containing the substance called fat (see II.); containing or consisting of fat, oil, or grease; oily; greasy; unctuous: as, a fat dish; fat cheese.
  • Hence Containing much resin; resinous: as, fat pine.
  • Containing much plastic or unctuous matter; pinguid: said of clay which is free from intermingled sand, and consequently highly plastic; or of lime made from limestone which contains but a small amount (ten per cent. or less) of the ordinary impurities of limestone — silica, alumina, oxid of iron, etc.
  • Having or showing, in mind or movement, the qualities of a fat animal; heavy; dull; stupid.
  • Well supplied with what is needful or desired; abounding in comforts; prosperous.
  • Abundant in production, or yielding large profits; rich in results or yield; profitable.
  • Nautical, broad, as the quarter of a ship.
  • noun A white or yellowish oily solid substance forming the chief part of the adipose tissue of animals, and also found in plants.
  • noun The best or richest part of a thing.
  • noun In type-setting, work which for any reason is unusually profitable to the compositor. See fat work, above.
  • To make fat; fatten.
  • To become fat; grow fat.
  • In leather-manuf, to smear over with a heavy oil.
  • In painting, rich; full of color.
  • noun A local Australian term for fat or marketable cattle.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete A large tub, cistern, or vessel; a vat.
  • noun obsolete A measure of quantity, differing for different commodities.
  • adjective Abounding with fat.
  • adjective Fleshy; characterized by fatness; plump; corpulent; not lean.
  • adjective Oily; greasy; unctuous; rich; -- said of food.
  • adjective Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal; coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.
  • adjective Fertile; productive
  • adjective Rich; producing a large income; desirable
  • adjective obsolete Abounding in riches; affluent; fortunate.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English fǣtt, fatted; see peiə- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old English fæt ("vat, vessel, jar, cup, casket, division"), from Proto-Germanic *fatan (“vessel”), from Proto-Indo-European *pod- (“vessel”). Cognate with Dutch vat ("barrel, vessel"), German Fass ("barrel, drum"), Swedish fat ("barrel, dish, cask"). See vat.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word fat.

Examples

  • Mutton fat so prepared is sometimes termed _savory fat_.

    School and Home Cooking Carlotta Cherryholmes Greer

  • Heat an iron frying pan until hot; oil it with a bit of fat from the meat; _then remove the fat_.

    School and Home Cooking Carlotta Cherryholmes Greer

  • Clean the meat, remove excess fat, and place the meat in a very hot frying pan _without any fat_.

    School and Home Cooking Carlotta Cherryholmes Greer

  • V. i.112 (241,5) [as fat and fulsome] [W: flat] _Fat_ means _dull_; so we say a _fatheaded_ fellow; _fat_ likewise means _gross_, and is sometimes used for _obscene_; and _fat_ is more congruent to _fulsome_ than _flat_.

    Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • So – although I consider 12% fat close too ideal in terms of needed fat – up-too 25% is fine if it serves a purpose – an extra 300 calories of coconut – beans – peanut butter or olive oil – each one of these would provide an extra boost of value to a low-calorie diet and if the fat% reached 25% – it would be fine

    The low-fat diet cascade | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D. 2007

  • The tonic bubbles and the lime, like the cucumber and mint, will refresh the palate, which has been encased in fat from the heavy cream.

    Cucumber soup: impossible food-wine pairing?!? | Dr Vino's wine blog 2009

  • However, because fat is the most concentrated source of calories, it is difficult to consume a high calorie diet that is low in fat and it is not recommended that children with AGS restrict fat.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Alagille Syndrome 2009

  • The word fat was swirling through my head, sounding the alarms.

    Unbearable Lightness Portia de Rossi 2010

  • When religious people gather, they bring Pyrex dishes full of handmade dishes invented back when the term fat-free didn't exist and the closest equivalent word was bland.

    Science vs. Religion: The Ultimate Smackdown 2008

  • When religious people gather, they bring Pyrex dishes full of handmade dishes invented back when the term fat-free didn't exist and the closest equivalent word was bland.

    Alt Text: Science vs. Religion -- The Ultimate Smackdown 2008

  • I am what many in the fat activism community call “small fat,” meaning I am technically larger than what society deems the acceptable body size, but I am not as fat as many others.

    Why No One Noticed I Was Hungry - Rewire.News Rewire News Group Contributors 2020

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • FAT - (noun), (verb) - a battle or combat; to engage in battle or combat.

    Usage: "You younguns keep fat'n, n' ah'm gonna whup y'uh."

    April 8, 2008

  • Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

    October 24, 2008