fat

The word “fat” means a soft, greasy substance stored in the body (or found in food) that provides energy. In plain terms, either the greasy substance in food and bodies, or (as an adjective) carrying a lot of body weight.

“Fat” is pronounced FAT (/ˈfæt/ in IPA).

Here is “fat” used in a sentence: “Trim the fat off the steak before you cook it.”

Words with a similar meaning to “fat” include fatso see also Thesaurus:fat person, blubber, flab, speck, weight and adipose tissue.

Depending on how it is used, “fat” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “fat” comes from Old English. From Old English fǣtt, related to Proto-Germanic words for "fattened" or "stuffed".

“Fat” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Fat” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a soft, greasy substance stored in the body (or found in food) that provides energy.

In food, the main types are saturated fat, unsaturated fat, and trans fat. Saturated and trans fats are usually considered less healthy, while unsaturated fats — found in nuts, fish, and olive oil — are generally beneficial. In the body, fat is stored as adipose tissue, which cushions organs and reserves energy.

Fat is essential, not simply bad. The body needs it to store energy, absorb certain vitamins, protect organs, and build cells. The real concern is quantity and type: too much, or too much of the wrong kind, can harm health. Unsaturated fats support the body, while trans fats are best avoided.

Chemically they are close relatives, both fats. The everyday distinction is physical state at room temperature: fat is solid or semi-solid, like butter or lard, while oil is liquid, like olive or sunflower oil. Oils tend to be unsaturated, whereas solid fats are more often saturated.