fat

[ fat ]
See synonyms for: fatfatsfattedfatter on Thesaurus.com

adjective,fat·ter, fat·test.
  1. having too much flabby tissue; corpulent; obese: a fat person.

  2. plump; well-fed: a good, fat chicken.

  1. consisting of or containing fat; greasy; oily: fat gravy; fat meat.

  2. profitable, as an office: a fat job on the city commission.

  3. affording good opportunities, especially for gain: a fat business contract.

  4. wealthy; prosperous; rich: He grew fat on dishonest profits.

  5. big, broad, or extended; thick: a fat sheaf of bills.

  6. plentiful; abundant: a fat supply of food.

  7. plentifully supplied: a fat larder; a fat feast.

  8. dull; stupid: fat clumsiness of manner.

  9. abounding in a particular element: Fat pine is rich in resin.

  10. (of paint) having more oil than pigment.: Compare lean2 (def. 6).

  11. (of coal) highly bituminous; rich in volatile hydrocarbons.

  12. Ceramics. long1 (def. 25).

  13. fertile, as land: Everything grows in this fat soil.

noun
  1. any of several white or yellowish greasy substances, forming the chief part of adipose tissue of animals and also occurring in plants, that when pure are colorless, odorless, and tasteless and are either solid or liquid esters of glycerol with fatty acids; fats are insoluble in water or cold alcohol but soluble in ether, chloroform, or benzene: used in the manufacture of soap, paints, and other protective coatings and in cooking.

  2. animal tissue containing much of this substance; loose flesh; flabbiness: to have rolls of fat around one's waist.

  1. the richest or best part of anything.

  2. obesity; corpulence: In his later years, he inclined to fat.

  3. Slang. especially profitable or advantageous work.

  4. an overabundance or excess; superfluity.

  5. action or lines in a dramatic part that permit an actor to display abilities.

  6. Also phat. Also called lift .Typesetting. matter that can be composed easily and profitably, especially from standing type, illustrations, or the like: fat work.: Compare lean2 (def. 11).

verb (used with or without object),fat·ted, fat·ting.
  1. to make or become fat.

Idioms about fat

  1. a fat chance, Slang. a very slight chance; small probability: A fat chance he has of winning the title!

  2. a fat lot, Slang. little or not at all: A fat lot they care about anyone else's troubles!

  1. chew the fat. chew (def. 11).

  2. the fat is in the fire,

    • an irrevocable action or chain of events has been started; the die is cast: Now that they have been given an ultimatum, the fat is in the fire.

    • the decision, whether good or bad, has been made.

    • the crisis is imminent.

  3. the fat of the land, the best or richest of anything obtainable: to live on the fat of the land.

Origin of fat

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fǣtt, originally the past participle of fǣtan “to cram, load, adorn”; cognate with Gothic fētjan “to adorn”; akin to vat

synonym study For fat

1. See stout.

Other words for fat

Opposites for fat

Other words from fat

  • fatless, adjective
  • fatlike, adjective
  • de·fat, verb (used with object), de·fat·ted, de·fat·ting.
  • o·ver·fat, adjective
  • un·fat·ted, adjective

Words that may be confused with fat

Words Nearby fat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fat

fat

/ (fæt) /


noun
  1. any of a class of naturally occurring soft greasy solids that are esters of glycerol and certain fatty acids. They are present in some plants and in the adipose tissue of animals, forming a reserve energy source, and are used in making soap and paint and in the food industry: See also oil (def. 1)

  2. vegetable or animal tissue containing fat: Related adjectives: adipose, lipoid, stearic

  1. corpulence, obesity, or plumpness

  2. the best or richest part of something

  3. a part in a play that gives an actor a good opportunity to show his talents

  4. chew the fat slang

    • to argue over a point

    • to talk idly; gossip

  5. the fat is in the fire an irrevocable action has been taken, esp one from which dire consequences are expected

  6. the fat of the land the best that is obtainable

adjectivefatter or fattest
  1. having much or too much flesh or fat

  2. consisting of or containing fat; greasy: fat pork

  1. profitable; lucrative: a fat year

  2. affording great opportunities: a fat part in the play

  3. fertile or productive: a fat land

  4. thick, broad, or extended: a fat log of wood

  5. having a high content of a particular material or ingredient, such as resin in wood or oil in paint

  6. plentifully supplied: a fat larder

  7. slang empty; stupid: get this into your fat head

  8. slang very little or none; minimal (in phrases such as a fat chance, a fat lot of good, etc)

verbfats, fatting or fatted
  1. to make or become fat; fatten

Origin of fat

1
Old English fǣtt, past participle of fǣtan to cram; related to Old Norse feita, Old High German feizen to fatten; compare Gothic fētjan to adorn

Derived forms of fat

  • fatless, adjective
  • fatlike, adjective
  • fatly, adverb
  • fatness, noun
  • fattish, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for fat

fat

[ făt ]


  1. Any of a large number of oily compounds that are widely found in plant and animal tissues and serve mainly as a reserve source of energy. In mammals, fat, or adipose tissue, is deposited beneath the skin and around the internal organs, where it also protects and insulates against heat loss. Fat is a necessary, efficient source of energy. An ounce of fat contains more than twice as much stored energy as does an ounce of protein or carbohydrates and is digested more slowly, resulting in the sensation of satiety after eating. It also enhances the taste, aroma, and texture of food. Fats are made chiefly of triglycerides, each molecule of which contains three fatty acids. Dietary fat supplies humans with essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Fat also regulates cholesterol metabolism and is a precursor of prostaglandins. See more at saturated fat unsaturated fat.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with fat

fat

In addition to the idioms beginning with fat

  • fat cat
  • fat chance
  • fat city
  • fate worse than death, a
  • fat farm
  • fat is in the fire, the
  • fat lot
  • fat of the land, the

also see:

  • chew the fat
  • kill the fatted calf

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.