fatberg

American  

[fat-burg] / ˈfæt bɜrg /

noun

1. a solid lump in a sewer system consisting of waste that does not break down, as congealed cooking fat, cleansing wipes, and cotton balls.

   Cities must deal with the growing problem of large and small fatbergs that cause sewage backups and street flooding.

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Etymology

Origin of fatberg

First recorded in 2000–05; fat ( def. ) (in the sense “greasy substance”) + (ice)berg ( def. )

Example Sentences

E. coli is the field's main "workhorse" says Prof Wallace, who has also genetically engineered it in the lab to turn plastic waste into vanilla flavour and fatberg waste from sewers into perfume.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

As England advanced through the early stages of Euro 2024 with all the elegance of a fatberg sliding down the sewer, relations became strained.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2024

Q. How did Swedish plumbers respond to news of Stockholm’s fatberg?

From Washington Post • May 20, 2021

Combined with fat and grease that has been tipped down sinks, it is already starting to build up into a fatberg.

From The Guardian • Dec. 20, 2019

But after weeks analyzing Sidmouth’s fatberg, the scientists realized they had nothing to fear.

From New York Times • Oct. 4, 2019