fatberg

[ fat-burg ]

noun

1. a solid lump in a sewer system consisting of waste that does not break down, as congealed cooking fat, cleansing wipes, and cotton balls:

   Cities must deal with the growing problem of large and small fatbergs that cause sewage backups and street flooding.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatberg¹

First recorded in 2000–05; fat ( def ) (in the sense “greasy substance”) + (ice)berg ( def )

Example Sentences

As England advanced through the early stages of Euro 2024 with all the elegance of a fatberg sliding down the sewer, relations became strained.

From BBC

Is that your husband, or did the English fatberg finally calve?

From Washington Post

Q. How did Swedish plumbers respond to news of Stockholm’s fatberg?

From Washington Post

A huge fatberg has been removed from a city sewer after engineers came up with a new idea to clear it which "literally ate it from the inside out".

From BBC

The fatberg was discovered when sewer flows in the area were noticed to be moving slower than normal, she said.

From BBC