fat

[ fat ]

adjective

, fat·ter, fat·test.

1. having too much flabby tissue; corpulent; obese:

   a fat person.

   Synonyms: pudgy, adipose, portly

   Antonyms: thin

2. plump; well-fed:

   a good, fat chicken.

3. consisting of or containing fat; greasy; oily:

   fat gravy; fat meat.

   Synonyms: fatty, unctuous

   Antonyms: lean

4. profitable, as an office:

   a fat job on the city commission.

   Synonyms: remunerative, lucrative

5. affording good opportunities, especially for gain:

   a fat business contract.

6. wealthy; prosperous; rich:

   He grew fat on dishonest profits.

7. big, broad, or extended; thick:

   a fat sheaf of bills.

8. plentiful; abundant:

   a fat supply of food.

   Synonyms: copious

9. plentifully supplied:

   a fat larder; a fat feast.

10. dull; stupid:

    fat clumsiness of manner.

    Synonyms: sluggish

    Antonyms: clever

11. abounding in a particular element:

    Fat pine is rich in resin.

12. (of paint) having more oil than pigment. Compare lean ²( def 6 ).
13. (of coal) highly bituminous; rich in volatile hydrocarbons.
14. Ceramics. long ¹( def 25 ).
15. fertile, as land:

    Everything grows in this fat soil.

    Synonyms: productive, fruitful, rich

    Antonyms: barren, sterile

noun

1. any of several white or yellowish greasy substances, forming the chief part of adipose tissue of animals and also occurring in plants, that when pure are colorless, odorless, and tasteless and are either solid or liquid esters of glycerol with fatty acids; fats are insoluble in water or cold alcohol but soluble in ether, chloroform, or benzene: used in the manufacture of soap, paints, and other protective coatings and in cooking.
2. animal tissue containing much of this substance; loose flesh; flabbiness:

   to have rolls of fat around one's waist.

3. the richest or best part of anything.
4. obesity; corpulence:

   In his later years, he inclined to fat.

5. Slang. especially profitable or advantageous work.
6. an overabundance or excess; superfluity.
7. action or lines in a dramatic part that permit an actor to display abilities.
8. Also Also called lift. Typesetting. matter that can be composed easily and profitably, especially from standing type, illustrations, or the like: Compare lean ²( def 11 ).

   fat work.

verb (used with or without object)

, fat·ted, fat·ting.

1. to make or become fat.

fat

/ fæt /

noun

1. any of a class of naturally occurring soft greasy solids that are esters of glycerol and certain fatty acids. They are present in some plants and in the adipose tissue of animals, forming a reserve energy source, and are used in making soap and paint and in the food industry See also oil
2. vegetable or animal tissue containing fat adiposelipoidstearic
3. corpulence, obesity, or plumpness
4. the best or richest part of something
5. a part in a play that gives an actor a good opportunity to show his talents
6. chew the fat slang.
   1. to argue over a point
   2. to talk idly; gossip
7. the fat is in the fire
   an irrevocable action has been taken, esp one from which dire consequences are expected
8. the fat of the land
   the best that is obtainable

adjective

1. having much or too much flesh or fat
2. consisting of or containing fat; greasy

   fat pork

3. profitable; lucrative

   a fat year

4. affording great opportunities

   a fat part in the play

5. fertile or productive

   a fat land

6. thick, broad, or extended

   a fat log of wood

7. having a high content of a particular material or ingredient, such as resin in wood or oil in paint
8. plentifully supplied

   a fat larder

9. slang.
   empty; stupid

   get this into your fat head

10. slang.
    very little or none; minimal (in phrases such as a fat chance , a fat lot of good , etc)

verb

1. to make or become fat; fatten

fat

/ făt /

1. Any of a large number of oily compounds that are widely found in plant and animal tissues and serve mainly as a reserve source of energy. In mammals, fat, or adipose tissue , is deposited beneath the skin and around the internal organs, where it also protects and insulates against heat loss. Fat is a necessary, efficient source of energy. An ounce of fat contains more than twice as much stored energy as does an ounce of protein or carbohydrates and is digested more slowly, resulting in the sensation of satiety after eating. It also enhances the taste, aroma, and texture of food. Fats are made chiefly of triglycerides, each molecule of which contains three fatty acids. Dietary fat supplies humans with essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and linolenic acid . Fat also regulates cholesterol metabolism and is a precursor of prostaglandins .
2. See more at saturated fat

Derived Forms

• ˈfatness, noun
• ˈfatly, adverb
• ˈfattish, adjective
• ˈfatless, adjective
• ˈfatˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• fatless adjective
• fatlike adjective
• de·fat verb (used with object) defatted defatting
• over·fat adjective
• un·fatted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fat¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fǣtt, originally the past participle of fǣtan “to cram, load, adorn”; cognate with Gothic fētjan “to adorn”; akin to vat

Word History and Origins

Origin of fat¹

Old English fǣtt , past participle of fǣtan to cram; related to Old Norse feita , Old High German feizen to fatten; compare Gothic fētjan to adorn

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. a fat chance, Slang. a very slight chance; small probability:

   A fat chance he has of winning the title!

2. a fat lot, Slang. little or not at all:

   A fat lot they care about anyone else's troubles!

3. the fat is in the fire,
   1. an irrevocable action or chain of events has been started; the die is cast:

      Now that they have been given an ultimatum, the fat is in the fire.

   2. the decision, whether good or bad, has been made.
   3. the crisis is imminent.
4. the fat of the land, the best or richest of anything obtainable:

   to live on the fat of the land.

5. chew the fat. chew ( def 11 ).

More idioms and phrases containing fat

• chew the fat
• kill the fatted calf

Synonym Study

See stout.

Example Sentences

"Fat is a major component of our diet, and eating trans fats is known to drive heart disease. We used this phenomenon to understand the biological mechanisms putting us at risk," says senior author Christian Metallo, professor and holder of the Daniel and Martina Lewis Chair at Salk.

From Science Daily

The fate of dietary fat is often determined by the protein that metabolizes it, explains Metallo, so it was important for the Salk team to first explore the metabolic landscape that creates sphingolipids in the first place.

From Science Daily

High cis fat diet mice, on the other hand, experienced shorter-term, less harmful effects like weight gain.

From Science Daily

To probe these effects further, they inhibited SPT to see whether they could limit negative trans fat effects in mice, finding that reducing SPT activity did decrease trans fat-induced atherosclerosis.

From Science Daily

Changes in blood sugar and fat levels.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• big
• bulging
• bulky
• chunky
• heavy
• hefty
• inflated
• large
• meaty
• obese
• plump
• well-fed