brown fat

American  

noun

1. brownish-yellow adipose tissue in the upper back, or interscapular, region of many mammals, most conspicuously in hibernating species and human newborns, composed of numerous innervated fat cells that can produce heat during cold stress; thermogenic tissue.

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brown fat British  

noun

1. tissue composed of a type of fat cell that dissipates as heat most of the energy released when food is oxidized; brown adipose tissue. It is present in hibernating animals and human babies and is thought to be important in adult weight control

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Etymology

Origin of brown fat

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brown fat

"Our research shows that just having brown fat isn't enough -- you need the right infrastructure within the tissue for heat production," said Shamsi.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

Researchers have discovered how a crucial protein switches on brown fat by helping it build the blood vessels and nerve connections needed for heat production.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

"By rapidly taking up and using fuel sources from our bodies and the food that we eat, brown fat acts like a metabolic sink that draws in nutrients and prevents them from being stored."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered a new way that brown fat, a type of fat that burns energy, can boost the body’s metabolism.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2025

They are about an inch long, gray and brown, fat and greasy-looking.

From Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Nature Study by Ontario. Ministry of Education