fat

1 of 3

adjective

fatter; fattest
1
: notable for having an unusual amount of fat:
a
: plump
a cute, fat little baby
b
: having excessive body fat
… a woman of medium height, a little plump but not fatMary McCarthy
c
of a meat animal : fattened for market
d
of food : oily, greasy
a fat, rich cheese
2
a
: well filled out : thick, big
a fat book
b
: full in tone and quality : rich
a gorgeous fat bass voiceIrish Digest
c
: well stocked
a fat larder
d
: prosperous, wealthy
grew fat on the warTime
e
: being substantial and impressive
a fat bank account
3
a
: richly rewarding or profitable
a fat part in a movie
a fat contract
b
: practically nonexistent
a fat chance
4
: productive, fertile
a fat year for crops
5
informal : stupid, foolish
" … if he had had any sense in his fat head, he would have done it long ago, dash him!"P. G. Wodehouse
6
: being swollen
got a fat lip from the fight
7
of a baseball pitch : easy to hit
fatness noun

fat

2 of 3

verb

fatted; fatting

transitive verb

: to make fat : fatten

fat

3 of 3

noun

1
: animal tissue consisting chiefly of cells distended with greasy or oily matter
2
a
: oily or greasy matter making up the bulk of adipose tissue and often abundant in seeds
b
: any of various compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, are the chief constituents of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and are soluble in organic solvents but not in water
c
: a solid or semisolid fat as distinguished from an oil
3
: the best or richest part
4
5
: something in excess : superfluity
trim the fat from the news operationRay Olson
fatless adjective

Examples of fat in a Sentence

Adjective The dog is getting fat because you feed him too much. I can't believe I've let myself get so fat. a fat book of poems a truck with fat tires Noun people with excess body fat a diet and exercise program to help you gain muscle and lose fat Nuts contain a lot of fat. Trim the fat from the meat before you cook it. a diet low in fats fats like butter and olive oil trim the fat off the budget
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Milk fat globule membrane surrounds the fat droplets in breast milk and supports a baby’s cognitive development. Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 Still, many people, including those in the fat acceptance movement, do not believe their bodies should be pathologized. Andrea Kane, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Investors lose their sweet tooth Nestle has built its $285 billion empire on the back of goods overweight on fat, sugar, and salt, with unhealthy products making up three-quarters of the group’s sales, ShareAction’s CEO Catherine Howarth told Bloomberg. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 14 Mar. 2024 The solution: an easy-to-read label that gives foods a score based on salt, sugar, fat, fiber, protein, and other content. Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 But others saw the commercial as a reappropriation of language used by fat activists and the body liberation movement to market a weight loss drug. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Generous Irish Casino Bonuses On top of all the great variety and convenience, online casinos offer fat stacks of bonuses to new players to help get them in the door — as well as regular reload bonuses, weekly offers, and more, giving you even more chances to win. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 The video suggests an RTX 5080 will follow, meaning those with fatter wallets will be targeted by Nvidia first, which isn't unusual, aiming for those wanting the latest tech. Antony Leather, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In the 1960s, there were groups working on fat liberation. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
Consuming adequate calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat on a daily basis helps effectively fuel both your brain and muscles inside and outside of the gym. Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Health, 5 Mar. 2024 The low percentage of body fat indicated the animal had been starving for more than three or four weeks, according to the affidavit. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 Nutrition Both types of crab are high in protein and low in fat and are a good source of heart-healthy omega 3 fats as well as the mineral zinc and vitamin B12. Coastal Living, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2024 That might entail a facelift plus a brow lift, neck lift, upper or lower blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), fat removal (from under the chin, for example), fat grafting (in the cheeks), or a combination of several of these. Meirav Devash, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024 Pour or spoon off the fat that rises to the top of the juices. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 Collagen and elastin, which tighten the skin, also decrease with age, resulting in neck bands with loose skin on very thin patients and full, loose, sagging necks with excess fat and skin on heavier patients. Dr. Dennis Schimpf, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The duo shingled strips of sirloin cooked sous vide in duck fat, garlic, thyme and rosemary between layers of blue cheese bacon mousse and braised short rib jam. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 To cut down on the fat, Miller recommends bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Middle English, from Old English fǣtt, past participle of fǣtan to cram; akin to Old High German feizit fat

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fat was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fat

Cite this Entry

“Fat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fat

1 of 3 adjective
fatter; fattest
1
2
a
: thick entry 1 sense 1
a fat book
b
: well stocked : abundant
3
: profitable
accepted a fat contract
4
5
: being swollen
got a fat lip in the fight
fatness noun

fat

2 of 3 verb
fatted; fatting
: to make fat : fatten

fat

3 of 3 noun
1
: animal tissue consisting chiefly of cells containing much greasy or oily matter
2
a
: any of numerous compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that make up most of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and can be dissolved by ether but not by water
b
: a solid or semisolid fat (as lard) as distinguished from an oil
3
: the best or richest part
the fat of the land
4
: an amount beyond what is usual or needed : excess

Medical Definition

fat

1 of 2 adjective
fatter; fattest
: notable for having an unusual amount of fat
especially : fleshy with superfluous flabby tissue that is not muscle : obese
fatness noun

fat

2 of 2 noun
1
: animal tissue consisting chiefly of cells distended with greasy or oily matter see brown fat
2
a
: oily or greasy matter making up the bulk of adipose tissue
b
: any of numerous compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, are the chief constituents of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and are soluble in organic solvents (as ether) but not in water
c
: a solid or semisolid fat as distinguished from an oil
3
: the condition of fatness : obesity

More from Merriam-Webster on fat

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