fatten
[ fat-n ]
/ ˈfæt n /
verb (used with object)
to make fat.
to feed (animals) abundantly before slaughter.
to enrich: to fatten the soil; to fatten one's pocketbook.
Cards.
- Poker. to increase the number of chips in (a pot).
- Pinochle. to play a card that scores high on (a trick) expected to be taken by a partner.
verb (used without object)
to grow fat.
Nearby words
fatsia, fatso, fatstock, fatted calf, fatted calf, kill the, fatten, fattening, fattish, fattism, fatty, fatty acid
Related formsfat·ten·a·ble, adjectivefat·ten·er, nouno·ver·fat·ten, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for fatten
British Dictionary definitions for fatten
fatten
/ (ˈfætən) /
verb
to grow or cause to grow fat or fatter
(tr) to cause (an animal or fowl) to become fat by feeding it
(tr) to make fuller or richer
(tr) to enrich (soil) by adding fertilizing agents
Derived Formsfattenable, adjectivefattener, nounfattening, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for fatten
fatten
1550s, from fat + -en (1). Related: Fattened. The earlier verb was simply fat (Old English fættian "to become fat, fatten"); e.g. fatted calf.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper