lipid

American  

[lip-id, lahy-pid] / ˈlɪp ɪd, ˈlaɪ pɪd /

Also lipide

noun

Biochemistry.

• lipids
  plural

1. any of a group of organic compounds that are greasy to the touch, insoluble in water, and soluble in alcohol and ether: lipids comprise the fats and other esters with analogous properties and constitute, with proteins and carbohydrates, the chief structural components of living cells.

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lipid British  

/ ˈlɪpɪd, ˈlaɪpɪd /

noun

1. Former name: lipoid. biochem any of a large group of organic compounds that are esters of fatty acids ( simple lipids , such as fats and waxes) or closely related substances ( compound lipids , such as phospholipids): usually insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol and other organic solvents. They are important structural materials in living organisms

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lipid Scientific  

/ lĭp′ĭd /

1. Any of a large group of organic compounds that are oily to the touch and insoluble in water. Lipids include fatty acids, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides. They are a source of stored energy and are a component of cell membranes.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lipids
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of lipid

First recorded in 1920–25; lip- + -id ³

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Explanation

A lipid is a waxy or oily organic molecule that is insoluble in water. Certain vitamins, like A, D, E, and K, are lipids. Lipids are sometimes described as fat-soluble, rather than water-soluble. A more precise way to think of them is "soluble in organic solvents." The same way a dollop of oil floats on a bowl of water, or a greasy pan only gets clean once you've added dish soap to the water, a lipid keeps itself separate from water. This gives it the ability to store energy and provide insulation. Lipid is derived from the Greek lipos, "fat or grease."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lipid lipids

The altered cells also accumulated substantially fewer lipid droplets, the structures used to store fat.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

By combining lipid information with existing genetic and cellular maps, researchers can gain a more complete understanding of how the brain is organized and how its chemistry changes over time.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Overall, these changes were more pronounced than the typical lipid differences observed between male and female mice.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Together, these findings show that lipid mapping can reveal important features of brain organization that are not apparent from anatomy or genetic information alone.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Before Citra left home, Mrs. Yeltner had reset her lipid point to svelte.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

The findings suggested that cells deprived of Mitch were changing how they distributed and used these lipids, drawing on some of their available fatty resources to support increased energy consumption.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

Yet another essential part of brain biology has received far less attention: lipids.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

A laser scans each slice one location at a time, producing detailed information about which lipids are present and where they are found.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

The team examined 172 different lipids in 109 brain slices collected from 11 mice.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

They dissolved the lipids in alcohol—but there was no change in transformation.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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