butterfat

American  

[buht-er-fat] / ˈbʌt ərˌfæt /

noun

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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of butterfat

First recorded in 1885–90; butter + fat

Example Sentences

That bright shot of lemon that cuts through all the butterfat like sunlight through fog.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2025

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