adipose

American  

[ad-uh-pohs] / ˈæd əˌpoʊs /

adjective

1. fatty; consisting of, resembling, or relating to fat.

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noun

1. animal fat stored in the fatty tissue of the body.

adipose British  

/ -ˌpəʊz, ˈædɪˌpəʊs /

adjective

1. of, resembling, or containing fat; fatty

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noun

1. animal fat

adipose Scientific  

/ ăd′ə-pōs′ /

1. Relating to or consisting of animal fat.

2. ◆ Adipose tissue is a type of connective tissue consisting of adipose cells, which are specialized to produce and store large fat globules. These globules are composed mainly of glycerol esters of oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. Adipose tissue is the main reservoir of fat in animals.

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Other Word Forms

• adiposeness noun
• adiposis noun
• adiposity noun
• hyperadipose adjective

Etymology

Origin of adipose

First recorded in 1735–45; from Latin adip-, stem of adeps “fat, lard” + -ose ¹

Example Sentences

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a promising new method to repair spinal fractures using stem cells extracted from adipose tissue, or body fat.

From Science Daily • Nov. 11, 2025

In fact, says Coviello, under certain still unknown conditions or at a still-to-be-determined point, healthy adipose tissue acquires pathological qualities.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2025

Major sources of this fat include adipose tissue as well as fatty acids the liver makes in response to insulin resistance and excess caloric intake.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2024

For instance, evidence suggested sympathetic nerves plug into the main kind of fat, white adipose tissue, but researchers hadn’t been able to confirm a direct connection in living animals.

From Science Magazine • May 22, 2024

It was rather like the adipose fin of a fish, but gaudy.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White