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butterfat

American  
[buht-er-fat] / ˈbʌt ərˌfæt /

noun

  1. butter; milk fat; a mixture of glycerides, mainly butyrin, olein, and palmitin.


butterfat British  
/ ˈbʌtəˌfæt /

noun

  1. the fatty substance of milk from which butter is made, consisting of a mixture of glycerides, mainly butyrin, olein, and palmitin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of butterfat

First recorded in 1885–90; butter + fat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Their milk has a high butterfat content that makes a much-coveted cheese.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 8, 2026

This elevated butterfat content delivers a richer, creamier texture and enhances both flavor and performance in baking and cooking.

From Salon Dec. 4, 2024

These sweets had a rich and soulful quality — the butterfat reward for a laborious stovetop process.

From Washington Post Mar. 3, 2023

To completely echo Jeni, dairy and butterfat carry flavors so well, and that includes any kind of spice infusion.

From New York Times Nov. 28, 2022

“Its calculators can be set to any combination, so many amino acids, so much sulphur, so much butterfat and alkaline. Right?”

From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

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