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

To construct the atlas, researchers used mass spectrometry imaging, a technique that allows them to identify lipid molecules across thin sections of brain tissue.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Conventional imaging techniques cannot easily distinguish individual lipid molecules, leaving a major gap in our understanding of the brain's chemical organization.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Rather than having a largely consistent chemical composition, white matter contains numerous distinct lipid zones.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Scientists can use it to investigate how disruptions in lipid distribution might contribute to brain development, aging, and disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and depression.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

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

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Cell membranes are thin, flexible barriers made largely from fatty molecules called lipids.

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

Although lipids are fundamental to brain function, scientists have struggled to map where different types are located.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

The new findings raise the possibility that the droplets act as a storage reservoir for lipids containing BFAs.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

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

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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