tallow

American  

[tal-oh] / ˈtæl oʊ /

noun

1. the fatty tissue or suet of animals.

2. the harder fat of sheep, cattle, etc., separated by melting from the fibrous and membranous matter naturally mixed with it, and used to make candles, soap, etc.

3. any of various similar fatty substances.

   vegetable tallow.

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verb (used with object)

1. to smear with tallow.

tallow British  

/ ˈtæləʊ /

noun

1. a fatty substance consisting of a mixture of glycerides, including stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids and extracted chiefly from the suet of sheep and cattle: used for making soap, candles, food, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to cover or smear with tallow

Other Word Forms

• tallowy
  adjective
• untallowed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tallow

1300–50; Middle English talow, talgh; cognate with German Talg

Explanation

In the old days, candles were mostly made from tallow, a form of animal fat that provided an inexpensive way for people to light their homes at night. Tallow is rendered animal fat, most often from beef or mutton. It's similar to suet or lard, other forms of animal fat, and has been useful in various ways through the years because it doesn't go bad at room temperature, stays solid, and is cheap. Today it's most commonly used for soap making or animal feed, though it can also be used in making biodiesel fuel.

Example Sentences

Tallow is not currently FDA-approved for topical use and may come with risks, especially if it’s sourced from cows with certain health conditions and diseases, like mad cow disease.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2025

Sales of Sky High Farm Universe’s Tallow Balm go toward sustaining nonprofit Sky High farm in upstate New York, which aims to address food insecurity by increasing access to fresh, locally produced food.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2024

However Jane Mowat, a driver at Tallow Hill, said: " I wouldn't even know how to download the app, so I would probably just go home."

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2023

Tallow helps currency feed smoothly through machines, ensuring that it doesn’t get stuck, a chemist told The Washington Post in 2016.

From Washington Post • Jun. 24, 2022

But because Old Tallow was, after all, an elder, and because Mama had always insisted that Omakayas be polite as possible to her elders, Omakayas pretended to listen to the story.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich